Last Sacrifice
by They Call Me Alice
Summary: My version of Last Sacrifice, the book after Spirit Bound. "I promise I'll protect you," He kissed my neck, down the slope of it until he was at my exposed collarbone, "I promise that I won't leave you." "Please don't," I found myself saying, "Kiss me."
1. Dead

So I just finished Spirit Bound. HORRIBLE CLIFF HANGER! This contains spoilers, obviously, so don't read if you haven't read SB. This is my continuation of it! Hope you enjoy. (: It will get more interesting, promise! REVIEW PLEASE!

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Last Sacrifice  
Chapter One  
Dead.

I won't lie. The prospect of going to trial and letting a jury decide my untimely fate was quite tempting. I almost wanted to set it all in motion myself, but I knew that Abe would most likely pitch a fit about that plan and prevent it from happening (and by "pitch a fit" I mean send one of his many spies to kill anything in sight but me).

It was only tempting, however, because, during my short stay inside a dimly lit cell, I had learned how easy it was to forget. It was definitely an asset to my "moving on" that I didn't see Dimitri every day of my aching heart's life. I was forced to alienate myself from the world (save the sixteen or so guardians stationed outside my cell, with four more up the stairs). I talked to no one but the walls, and even that was hard.

I sat in the opposite corner of the cell most of the time. The cell had, unluckily, been my ex-boyfriend/mentor's when they thought he was still Strigoi, and although nothing remained in it that belonged to him, the simple fact that I knew he was once there, once sat on that cot on the other side of the cell was enough to drive me away from there.

They didn't allow visitors. I had occasionally heard voices arguing with the guardians upstairs, voices that belonged to Lissa, Christian and Adrian respectively, but they were never allowed down. I wouldn't have wanted to see them anyways. Not now, at least. I didn't want to see anyone.

In the beginning, I'd wanted to see them so desperately, but guiltily, I realized, not any more than I wanted to see Dimitri. No, I wanted to see Dimitri with every bone in my body in the beginning, so much so that I would try and talk to guardians into bringing him down there. When I came to accept that was futile, I took glimpses into Lissa's head. It was selfish, because I was essentially using her to get to the outside world, but even that proved tiresome. I could feel her anxiety and worry over me sometimes, but the majority of the time I was sucked into her and Christian's escapades, which were too graphic for me to be a part of.

So I confined myself to the left side of my cage, facing the wall with my knees brought to my chest. Several times guardians would attempt to make conversation (in actuality, a lot of them didn't believe I had done it, but what did that matter when dhampir opinion mattered to no moroi?), and I would be brought three meals over the course of the day, but I rarely moved. No conversation and no eye contact. So long as I maintained that, I could stay in my own little world.

And in my own little world was where I was happy. Not locked in a cell with leaky ceilings and roach infested floors. I was in a small, homey cabin wrapped in the warmth of a newly lit fire and the comfort of my love's arms.

Dimitri's arms.

He would be kissing my neck tenderly, running his fingers through my hair and whispering sweet nothings about how we would plan our lives around each other while still doing our jobs. He'd kiss my lips and then things would begin to heat up as his tongue found mine. His hands would no longer be innocent, instead choosing to travel up and down my unclothed sides. I'd close my eyes and take in his touch, and in that deep, husky voice of his, he would whisper…

"Roza."

My eyes snapped open from my dream world. It appeared I was becoming so good at fabricating a false reality, I was beginning to actually hear Dimitri's voice. I wasn't sure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing yet.

I sighed and decided my stomach could probably handle a piece of toast from this morning's breakfast they left. Expecting the action to be quick, I didn't expect to be frozen in my tracks when my eyes landed upon a tall body standing in front of my cell.

Dimitri's.

"Roza," He repeated, inclining his head as a form of acknowledgment, "How are you?"

I didn't respond, instead opting to grab the small slice of toast I'd gone for originally. I made a move to turn back around but he spoke, once again causing even my blood to go stiff.

"Ironic how we are in opposite places now," He commented, and I flickered my eyes up long enough to catch him brushing a stray piece of his long hair out of his face, "I was once in that very place, and you were in this one."

"I do believe our intentions are entirely different, however," I murmured, nibbling on the cold, soggy toast.

He seemed mildly amused, "Perhaps."

"How did you get down here?" I muttered again. Having not used my voice box in over a month proved to be quite the problem.

He shrugged, "I asked."

I shook my head, "Right. And why would you come now, a month after I've been stationed down here?"

He stared at me for a bit, "Does it matter?"

I shrugged, "I guess not. I'm going to be executed anyways."

And just like that, his entire cool, calm demeanor diminished and I jumped back, startled as his hands gripped the metal bars.

"_Don't you say that!_" He hissed through his teeth, "Don't you _ever_ give up. The Rose Hathaway I knew would never give up."

I snorted, which wasn't very pretty considering I had been trying to hold it back, "Yeah well, things _fade_ Dimitri. I'm sure you know how that goes."

He didn't miss the look I gave him, I could tell by the slight wince he gave as he released the bars.

"Don't mock me, Rose…you know that…our situations are entirely different." His logic always failed to produce any sort of realization by me.

"No, you know what, Dimitri? I don't really think they are. I'm about to have my life taken away from me, just like you did. But you know our only difference? I can't be brought back to life after they stake me. I will be _dead_. Not undead, but dead, Dimitri. You can't fight through Siberia and back, break a criminal out of prison and find his rogue brother to bring me back. I. Will. Be. Dead."

He began to back away from the cell, his hard eyes staying locked on mine. But I could see the fight going on behind them; the inner turmoil as he fought his memories and his logic.

"Now I suggest you leave…things were finally becoming easier for me after I didn't see you for a week," I growled, throwing the remaining piece of bread I had behind me as I spun to go back to my spot, "I'm sure your _hero_ is needing you for something."

I heard him take in a breath, as if he were going to say something. I waited, but the only sound I ended up hearing were the residing echoes of his boots as he climbed the stairs.

God, was it hard to be strong.


	2. Catphant

Wow! I kept getting emails on my iPhone all day telling me about the reviews and favorites of this story. xD I really appreciate it you guys, it makes me so happy to know I can make you guys happy! I also LOVE hearing you guys' opinion on SB and what you think is going to happen in the actual Last Sacrifice! Keep talking to me about it, I wish I had more time to reply to everyone. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this next installment of my version of _Last Sacrifice._

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**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter Two**  
**Catphant.**

The rest of the day (or night, I don't know which—it was hard to tell when you were locked underground) passed without any massive, heart-attack-inducing events. Not that Dimitri appearing had been that big of a deal to me anyways. He hadn't said much during the little amount of time he was down there, and it appeared to me that he hadn't planned to. If anything, it was kind of torturous to see him on the other side of those bars and not myself. Hell, it was torturous knowing that he was out anywhere without me next to him. That was how it should have been. And to think, that less than five months ago we had thought everything was planned to be perfect.

I didn't spend any more time in my fantasy world that day. Somehow, seeing Dimitri in person had diminished any kind of fake Dimitri I could conjure up in my head. The two would just never be the same. Instead I passed the time by using a small rock I found in the corner and drawing pictures along the brick of my cell walls. I was not an artist by any means, but it gave me something to do.

"Is that an elephant or a cow?"

The voice snapped me out of my current drawing, but I didn't turn or freeze like I had last time. Continuing to draw, I replied quietly, "It's a cat."

The voice of what _would be _my boyfriend (had I not been locked up in a cell) continued, "I thought you hated cats?"

"Your smart-ass comments **can** get old, you know," I told him dryly, shading in the catphant's fur. He snorted.

"And your stubborn, hard-headed-ness is what I thrive off of, little dhampir."

"How did you get down here?" I hoped he would give me a better answer than what Dimitri had, but just to be safe, I warned him, "And don't you dare say you 'just asked'."

He paused as if that was _exactly_ what he had planned on saying, and then spoke, "I…well, let's just say it wasn't easy. Did you know you need a total of twenty-four guardians around you at all times?"

I took the opportunity to snort myself this time, "I don't _need_ them."

It was silent for a moment before he would speak again, "Maybe. But we need _you_, Rose."

The silence was etched into the atmosphere surrounding us again, and suddenly the scratching of my now tinier rock was getting on my nerves. Calmly (and very unlike Rosemarie Hathaway I might add), I set the makeshift chalk down and took a deep breath.

"I miss you guys, too."

Adrian smirked, something I could see out of the reflection of a broken piece of metal in my corner, "While we _do_ miss you, little dhampir, and you might want to consider deflating that head a little bit, I wasn't speaking of Lissa, Christian and I."

A little hurt, I turned to him, "Then who in the Hell are you talking about, Ivashkov?"

He frowned, clearly displeased with my reply, "The Moroi."

This time I snorted purposefully, "Oh yeah, they need me so much they had to stick me in a damn holding cell."

Adrian sighed, "Believe it or not, Rose, that is exactly why they stuck you in here."

"Besides the fact that I'm going to trial for," I made quotation marks with my fingers, "'Murdering the Queen'?"

"Well, yes, that is a small part of it."

"Small? They're planning on executing me if all goes their way, Adrian!" I threw my hands in the air in exasperation.

He wagged his finger at me, "Shh, not so loud. I got the majority of the guardians to leave us alone, but they're only standing upstairs and I think causing a scene will give them good enough reason to come back down here and remove the only person that can help you."

Unwavering, I stared at him, "And how on Earth can you do that?"

He cocked his eyebrow at me challengingly, "Have I ever let you down before?"

This time it was my turn to cock my eyebrow.

"Alright, touché. But really, Rose, I have done so many miraculous things. Why wouldn't I be able to do this one?"

"Break me out of here, fight off a horde of guardians, keep me from being killed, and somehow set all this right?"

"Well, not in so many words. I just like the word 'run' personally."

I rolled my eyes, "Sorry, I've lived the fugitive life too many times to want to go back to it, Adrian. "

"Right, well, if it helps, your father has some plans of his own."

I groaned, "Exactly what I needed to relieve the piles of stress currently on my shoulders. My crazy father planning some even crazier scheme to break me out of prison."

"Hey, this isn't prison. If you were in prison, you'd have lost half your sanity by now."

I rolled my eyes once more, "I think I lost that a long time ago, Adrian. Now, what's this plan of my father's?"

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"Hey, when's dinner?"

The guard I'd yelled at turned to me with an amused expression, quite used to my outbursts, "Nice to see you're somewhat back."

"Answer my question, moron."

He scoffed, "Not for another hour."

I put on my best fake pouting face and produced a shrill whine, "But I'm hungry _noooow…_"

"So is every other prisoner, I'm sure."

"Can I just have a piece of cake?"

He stayed quiet, but then sighed, "Sure kid, if it'll get you to shut up. I regret wishing that you were back to normal."

As I waited for my slice of cake, I tapped my foot. Eventually the guard came back, sliding the piece through the small sliver of room they had to do such a thing. I instantly grabbed it and devoured the triple chocolate fudge cake, forcing down the way-too-sugary crap that it was made of.

After I (finally) finished it, I slid the plate across the room and gave another very convincing groan (which really wasn't all that hard considering I really did feel like crap). The guard ignored me at first, but after a couple more, he was forced to turn around and stare at me.

"What now?" He growled, and I held my stomach.

"I think that cake made me sick…" I began, groaning again, "I feel like I'm about to—"

And promptly, I leaned over and puked.

"Well, that settles it I guess," The guardian muttered to himself before he sighed. I heard the jingle of keys and the rattle of my cell door before I threw up again. I looked up in time to see him wince from disgust and take in a deep breath. Motioning with his hand, he began to lead me out of the cell.

_He's killed seven Strigoi and he can't take the stench of a girl's puke. Pathetic._

I thought I was free to walk myself, but as soon as we were out of the cell he promptly slapped some cuffs on me. I almost sighed aloud. He was making a very crucial mistake. While it would have been easier without handcuffs, I was still a very capable fighter.

I knew where we were going, and I couldn't help but feel the rush of excitement as I was led up the stairs I had only ever gone down. I hadn't been up in over a month, and the prospect of seeing real, breathing people and breathing in the outside air by myself was almost enough to make me puke again.

"If you need to vomit again, please, stay away from the area of my boots. I just had them polished."

Luckily I was behind his back and was able to roll my eyes.

I saw plenty of people on my way across the court, but none that I wanted to see. No Lissa, no Mia, no Christian, and definitely no Dimitri. I wondered where he was staying now, and if they allowed him to leave without any guardians surrounding him. I wondered if he still thought of me, too.

I saw Adrian, like I knew I would. He was leaning against the pillar of the west courtyard, smoking a cigarette much like he normally would. I gave him a quick glance and he nodded. A crowd of people passed in front of him and by the time they were gone, so was he.

"Here we are. I hate that we have to walk all the way across the court for this. They should really invest in a medical center down in the holding cells."

He opened the door for me and watched my back as we walked inside. He spoke a few words to the receptionist and then we were both led back into another room entirely. A nurse walked in behind us and told me to take a seat on the bench.

"Good evening, Miss Hathaway," She said, taking a look at a clipboard in her hands, "So you're complaining of stomach pains?"

I merely nodded my head, frowning.

"And you think maybe the cake was bad?"

Insert nod.

"Mmm, well, we'll have to do a few tests to see if its food poisoning. I'll be right back with the proper paperwork."

As soon as she left, I looked over at the guardian with me. He was staring out the window, watching the courtyard below. Clearly he was off guard. This was really playing out to my advantage, fortunately. Hopping off the bench quietly, I paused to see if he'd notice, but when he didn't, I knew I was set for the kill.

Well, not kill, but who's counting?

Quickly, I moved behind him and spoke, "Sorry for this, really. But I can't take being in a gross cell any longer."

As soon as he spun around I took the opportunity to knee him in the stomach, which sent him doubling over. Taking this separate opportunity, I used my elbow and hit the back of his head with as much force as I could without trying to shatter his skull.

And he hit the ground, just like I expected.

No movement five seconds later was my cue. Bending down, I slid the loop of keys off his belt and used the same one he'd used to lock me up to unlock my cuffs. Sighing in happiness, I stretched my arms for a bit before glancing around the room.

"Ah ha," I murmured to myself, seeing the air duct. Sliding the chair over to it, I used the fork from my cake (which I had stuck in my pocket) to undo the screws. Climbing into the hole, I kicked the chair away from it and, from the inside, managed to put the screen back and screw it on from the inside.

I'd done it.

"It's not done yet, Rose," I whispered, turning around to begin crawling my way to freedom. Half way down I heard the gasp from the nurse before she began calling for help. There wasn't much time now.

Following Adrian's directions, I realized, was a bad idea. I was lost. I was supposed to end up on the east side of the center where he would be waiting with a car, but I was almost positive I was going south. Call it intuition, but I figured it was because I kept running into dead ends.

Finally, light poured through an opening, actual, genuine sunlight and I was worried for a second that Adrian might not be out there, considering the suns effect on Moroi. I was also scared that guards would be waiting for me, but as I kicked the opening and stared outside, I realized that wasn't true. Well, at least one of them wasn't.

Adrian was nowhere in sight.

I ran out a bit further, hoping he was around some corner, but no luck. "Fuck," I cursed quietly, looking around. Was I in the wrong area? "I knew his directions were shit!"

Spinning around, I was about to head back inside and try all over again, but I was stopped as I ran into a hard chest.

The hard chest of someone who was definitely not Adrian.

"_Rosemarie Hathaway, what in God's name are you doing out of your cell?"_

Well, I was up shit creek without a paddle now. Might as well hold out my arms and say, "cuff me", because there was no way I was getting out of this one.


	3. Alienated

I'm so excited because of you guys' reviews that I just have to keep writing! I also end up writing a little bit more every chapter, which I hope you enjoy. (: Did I mention how much I love your reviews? :) I'm glad you like the story so far. I have very sneaky plans, and I'd love for you guys to try and guess what they are! A lot of people thought the person calling her name was Tomas, a few guessed Alberta, and some people were kinda weary about it being Dimitri, but only one person got it correct! Special congratulations to MadameRozaBelikova who guessed correctly. I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter of my version of LS, and keep up the awesome, motivational reviews!

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**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter Three**  
**Alienated.**

It wasn't Adrian, but it wasn't someone I'd expected to see, either.

"Hi, mom," I murmured, taking a glance around myself to make sure there was no guardians ready to spring from around a corner. I wouldn't put it past my mom to lure me into a trap after all.

"What the Hell are you doing out here?" She hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me to a concealed area. Well, at least I was somewhat convinced she wasn't out to get me.

"Nice to see you too, Mom," I growled, ripping my arm from her grip. Last thing I needed was to be under someone else's control. "Look, to keep things short…you can't know I'm out here, alright?"

"Did you break out?"

"Well, I had some help, but more or less…yeah."

She shook her head, "And let me guess, that help was your father?" She sighed with passion, an emotion that I couldn't recognize as admiration or frustration.

"What? No!" I automatically responded. What I was answering wasn't exactly a lie, after all. "But I'm not about to tell you who helped me, either." The rule of secrecy was a must. I just hope it didn't end up getting me killed earlier than my original due date.

Janine rolled her eyes, "I think I have a good guess."

I stared at my mother, refusing the urge to run into her arms and cry. Although my mother and I had never had that close of a relationship (up until sometime last year when I had seen her for the first time and realized she _wasn't _just a cold hard bitch), she was still my mother, and although I was eighteen, I still felt much like a child wanting to be comforted. I wanted to run into her arms and cry like a little baby, like I was sure I had before I was shipped off to school. I wanted her to run her fingers through my hair and coo that everything was alright. I wanted her to _make _it alright.

Children had that sort of image about their parents; that they are, in every shape and form of the word, superheroes. Sure, my mom was a badass, ass kicking guardian with years of experience and death of Strigoi under her belt, but that didn't mean she knew the answer to everything. She was still a dhampir, and right now our voices were not being heard very well as far as the court was concerned.

I swallowed a thick lump growing in my throat, trying to fight that overwhelming feeling of letting the tears go. I wasn't sure if I had much left anyway, but the last thing I wanted was for my mother to see me cry. She wasn't very good with emotions besides anger, and I didn't have the desire to start a fight right now.

"Are you going to turn me in?" Flicking my eyes to her, I watched her stare at me as if she were contemplating something hard. I lifted my arms to cross them over my chest and cleared my throat, not allowing her to respond, "Did you even _defend_ me, Mom?"

Her gaze immediately changed and it was like fuel had been scattered across a dying flame. Taking the small steps towards me to close our distance, she stared up into my eyes with the growing fire I had seen, her teeth clenched as she responded, "Of course I have, Rose. Of _course_ I have. But you know as well as I that we, as Guardians, are not allowed very many opportunities to speak and express our opinions, and that makes it very hard to—"

"To what?" I seethed, narrowing my eyes, "Help the damn, egotistical Moroi stick me back in a cell where I don't belong?"

She sighed, "Rose, you have to understand that it is my job, and I promise you that being out here is not helping your case at all. You are only endangering yourself, and making it easier for them to—"

"Kill me?"

Her eyes hardened as she listened to those words. However, she chose to say nothing, as if it didn't matter to her. Instantly that feeling that had once overwhelmed me, the feeling of love and compassion I was sure she felt for me too, turned to ice, and even that fire behind her eyes could not melt it.

"Sometimes I think you forget that you're my mother," I snarled at her, taking steps back. I didn't want to be anywhere near her at the moment.

Her teeth barred, and I was glad that Dhampir did not develop fangs or else she would be even more threatening, "What are you insinuating, Rose?"

I narrowed my eyes and growled, with as much anger and hatred as I could find to put behind my words, "You don't think I'm innocent."

She looked astounded. Her mouth actually dropped and, had I not been so angry that I could light a fuse, I would have reveled in the fact that she was off guard. Her own defense, her crossed arms, fell and she stumbled backwards, as if my words had a literal physical impact on her.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and felt the crumpling of a paper. After a few more gropes at it, I realized what it was and tried not to let the surprise etch its way onto my face. The Queen's Note. I had completely forgotten it in my depressed state.

The realization and remembrance of what exactly this note contained made me kick my gears back into overdrive, and suddenly I decided I no longer had time for this. Going back inside was not an option, and neither was getting captured. I needed to find Adrian as quickly as possible, figure out just what exactly our plan was, and get the Hell out of here, as far away from the court—and Dimitri—as possible.

"I have to go," I spit out, shaking my head to rid myself of any thoughts that would cause me to linger here any longer. I had to put her and anything to do with this place in the backburners until I had everything figured out. If that ever happened, that is. "I'll..." I paused, catching myself as I bit my lip, "Have a good life, Janine."

I rebounded from the ground as fast as I could, using any amount of strength left in me after such an emotional setback. I refused to look back at her. For all I knew, she was currently on her communication device letting the rest of the Guardians know exactly where I was and where I was going. I couldn't afford any more emotional outbursts or emotions in general. I had to focus, when what I wanted to do was fall to the ground and cry. What I _needed_ to do was run like my life depended on it. Which it did, I guess. I just never thought I'd be saying that sentence literally.

As I was running around the large expanse of the medical center, I began to think about my life here and what exactly was to become of it. I had no Earthly idea what Adrian planned to do after I found him, all I knew was that I was out of that dreary place. That and I needed to see Lissa. A small tap into our psychic bond showed me that she was unaware of what was going on, mostly because it was currently day time and she was sleeping…in Christian's bed.

I felt envious that she was living such a peaceful existence. I hungered for that type of life. I hungered for that type of life with Dimitri. I wanted to be able to fight alongside of him, protect the Moroi that didn't value our intelligence together, laugh together, go out to dinner together…but most of all, I wanted to be able to come home to Dimitri. It would be the stress reliever in my day to have his soothing, calloused hands run along my aching muscles while his lips kissed them just to make sure they were okay. It would be Heaven.

A loud screech interrupted my thoughts and I stopped in my tracks just in time to catch a black car coming to a halt in front of me. My instincts began to kick into attack mode and I readied my stance, prepared to fight hordes of Guardians to earn my freedom if I had to.

Luckily the window rolled down enough for me to see Adrian behind the wheel. He was anything but calm, which was a rare sight. Sweat was dripping down his temples and his chest was heaving, something that would have been kind of sexy had I not been in a life threatening situation.

"Don't just stare, come on!" He barked, jerking his head to the side before rolling the window back up.

I didn't wait any longer. Nodding, I ran for the door right as I heard several pairs of feet begin to bang onto the concrete behind me.

"Stop!" The voices called, along with other various things.

"Sorry boys and girls! Looks like Rose has overstayed her welcome. Hope you enjoyed the performance!"

But it wasn't over from there. One Guardian sprang from the side, trying to trap me between his arms before I could get to the door handle. Ducking beneath them, I kicked his legs out from under him, watching in fall to the ground.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," I murmured. I felt a pair of hands try and grab at my back and I dodged just in time. Had my hair been down they would have grabbed onto the long tresses, but luckily staying in "jail" had forced me to always keep it up, lest I like more dirt to grab onto it. I easily elbowed him in the side which caused him to hit the car and tumble to the ground ungracefully.

I was growing tired of the games. Spinning around, I was going to face the last one head on and take him down before he had the chance to surprise me, but Lady Luck was not on my side today. I ended up being more surprised than if they would have sprung on me.

I was facing Dimitri.

"Rose," He spoke in a warning tone, "You need to stop this immediately. You have no idea the amount of trouble you're getting yourself into."

I snorted, "In case you forgot, comrade, they're planning on killing me. You can't get in much more trouble than that."

He narrowed his eyes, and I watched him take a small, miniscule step forward. He thought he was catching me off guard by having chit chat. That was his plan was the talk me into being unguarded long enough so he could capture me.

"This isn't helping your case, Rose."

"Funny, my mother said the same thing. You can see how that would be bad, right?"

He took another step. I heightened my guard.

"So they let you be a Guardian again? How nice."

"You need to go back to the cell, Rose. It's not too late."

"You're not going to catch me off guard. I see what you're doing. You're trying to distract me long enough to get a hold on me, because you're convinced that if you do, you'll have me. You're good, Dimka, but you forget: The student always surpasses the teacher."

I swear I saw a small smile from him then, but I didn't have time to contemplate it. He was just as tired of games as I was, and he charged at me with a speed I could have sworn had grown since the last time I'd fought him as a Dhampir.

He threw his fist at me and I caught it, twisting his arm fast enough to render him useless for a second. Grabbing his other arm, I used them to steady myself and jumped, pounding my feet into his chest before releasing his arms. This sent him backwards, but he caught the fall and simply came at me again, this time going for a simple punch. I blocked it, but he had anticipated that and threw his other fist (which was luckily his weaker arm) at me, successfully landing a blow at my jaw. I heard a small crack, but I paid no attention.

He kicked at me, I blocked. I kicked at him, he blocked. This continued until I wasn't sure if we were going to be able to get anywhere anymore. Growling, I shook my head.

"Give up, Roza! You can't win."

"And neither can you."

"You're making a fool of yourself."

I narrowed my eyes, blocking another hit.

"You know, maybe you have retained a little of the Strigoi in you, but I must say, the Strigoi you was definitely more of a challenge!" I yelled before stopping the guarding and ducking down. This caused him to miss his next hit and I took the opportunity to run around to his backside, the side closest to the limo. But I wasn't just about to run. No, Rose Hathaway went out in more style than that.

I jumped onto the roof of the car and, since he was close enough, jumped off of that and landed on his shoulders. Of course my upper body fell backwards, but that worked to my advantage. Using the strength in my legs, I pulled him backwards with me, sending his body up in the air and my body underneath his. I landed on my stomach, bracing myself with my arms while he, upside down, crashed against the car. Springing up, I ran at him, grabbing his collar of his shirt and dragging him up.

"Fuck you, comrade. Fuck you."

And with that, I threw him towards the other pile of knocked out Guardians.

My hand, after what seemed like miles, finally found the handle to the black car and I threw the door open, not wasting any time also throwing myself inside. I couldn't afford to do anything else. I couldn't think. I had to get out of there before Dimitri had any time to recover.

"Go!" I yelled, and Adrian didn't have to have me say it twice before his foot found the gas and we took off.

I looked out the rearview mirror, unable to help myself, seeing the Guardians who had tried to capture me throw their fists up in anger. This caused me to smirk a little bit, but as soon as I looked to the right a little, it was wiped off my face.

Dimitri stood there, staring after the car with a look of pure hatred.

"You had no other choice," Adrian whispered to me, taking one hand off the wheel and finding mine. I swallowed another lump.

"I know," I whispered, "I know."


	4. Frustrated

Hello again! (: I love your reviews and response to this story. Keep them coming, as they motivate the crap out of me! Anywho, I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Let me know what you think! Also, I have a poll on my profile I'd like you to go vote in! I'd like to know whether you prefer Adrian or Dimitri as Rose's love. It's important to this story, so please do it! (: Again, enjoy this next chapter of Last Sacrifice!

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**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter Four**  
**Frustrated.**

The silence of the ride was beginning to become extremely awkward, and with a clearing of my throat, I removed my eyes from Adrian and I's intertwined hands to the scenery outside.

"Where are we headed?" I questioned quietly, feeling next to on edge. Adrian could feel that apparently, and with a light chuckle and a squeeze of my hand, tried to reassure me.

"One, you can stop being so uptight, because these windows are tinted enough so that people can't see inside. Second, we're far enough away from the west side of the court that there is no way they could have contacted the people over here yet. Besides, you know that this section of the court is for visitors only; they have maybe two general Guardians over here. No other Moroi's guardian is going to leave their Moroi for this cause. You're important, Rose, but you're no Strigoi."

I felt slightly comforted by his words. I hadn't thought of all that, and I was largely impressed by Adrian's ability to find reason in all of this chaos. Although I'd fought many Strigoi, I could learn a thing or two from him about patience and rationality. Which was ironic, especially because Adrian was usually the one to be the least realistic considering his overwhelming sarcasm and small issue with drinking.

"While you did manage to satiate some of my fear, I can't help but notice how you intentionally avoided the main question," I said with a roll of my eyes. Adrian was also very good at distractions, it seemed.

"Ah," He said with a nod, and I noticed him swallow with some difficulty, "Well, I was hoping it would be a surprise…"

"Which is code word for it will probably be a place that makes me mad, right?" I sighed.

"Not so much mad as much as…weary," He mumbled, and I felt his thumb begin to stroke my hand. I shifted in my seat, trying to think of where we could possibly be going. We were still in the court, and from Adrian's earlier speech it sounded like we weren't leaving. Where could we go in the court where he thought I would be safe and undiscovered?

"No," I stated firmly, shaking my head, "We are _not_ going there!"

"Rose," Adrian's voice was even firmer, and his grip on my hand tightened, "It's the only place where we can successfully buy some time."

"Are you kidding me? We'll be lucky if they don't search there first!"

"Don't underestimate your father," Adrian murmured, shaking his head, "He has his ways, and he makes sure that what he wants is handed to him on a silver platter."

"Silver platter? I hardly call barely escaping and arriving in a dented car a _silver platter_."

Adrian sighed, obviously frustrated, "You have no other choice, Rose. Not unless you've decided that living in that cell is where you'd like to be."

That shut me up. My mouth closed and I continued to stare out the window, trying to focus on something other than meeting up—and temporarily living—with my father. The Queen's note was first to ring in my mind, and I almost reached in my pocket to grab it. I caught myself, however, and glanced at Adrian out of the corner of my eye.

'_Tell as few people as possible.'_

Was Adrian one of those select few I could tell? He _was_ the Queen's favorite nephew, but did that mean anything to her? Once upon a time I had thought I had the Queen all figured out, but after this note, I wasn't sure who she was anymore. The note portrayed her to be kind and caring, and was almost proof that her political actions and beliefs were just a mask. Maybe she wasn't as bad as I thought, and maybe, someone else realized that before I had.

'_If you're reading this, then something terrible has happened.'_

"Something terrible" was definitely an understatement, but the sentence itself made me wonder: Had the Queen even known she was going to die? It left several holes open. She didn't say, "If you're reading this, I'm dead," and she didn't say, "If you're reading this, this person killed me," either. It seemed as if she didn't know _what_ exactly was going to happen, and that made things even worse. It definitely made the easiest of all the journeys I could have gone on impossible; breaking into and searching the Queen's royal room didn't seem like it would give me any answers.

'…_an illegitimate child…'_

And that was the part that scared me and excited me the most. Was this a hint that whoever had murdered the Queen knew about this supposed brother to Lissa, or was this a suggestion we find him? Whatever the case, the action was imminent and unavoidable.

We had to find Lissa's brother.

I wasn't sure how to key Adrian in on this without letting him read the note, but it seemed that train of thought was meant for another time. The car was coming to a stop and Adrian was removing his hand from mine.

"I packed you a suitcase," He disclosed as we both got out of the car. He headed to the trunk, "I'll carry it in for you."

I was glad he offered to. Although I could have carried it myself, I was currently too preoccupied to carry a large suitcase up several flights of stairs (which was the way we had to go—neither of us wanted to risk walking inside and taking the elevator).

The place my father was staying at was much like an apartment complex in the human world, except with the amount of money and muscle strength Dhampir had over humans, was four times as big. This meant that each "apartment" was like a miniature house. I could only assume very wealthy Moroi stayed here, because the few times I had visited Tasha, her place had looked nothing like this.

As I climbed the stairs, Adrian climbed behind me, somehow managing to keep up with a Dhampir who was carrying nothing while he, a Moroi, was carrying two large suitcases full of clothing and necessities. A part of me grudgingly accepted that although Dhampir were the ones sent onto the battlefield, full-blooded Moroi were probably overall stronger than Dhampir. They were just never trained how to throw their strength into a good punch.

Finally we made it to my father's suite and his door opened, "Rose!" He called, opening his arms wide with a large smile adorning his face. It was as if he had sensed we were there.

"Were you staring out your peephole for thirty minutes, Dad, or what?" I grumbled, pushing past him and denying his hug. I probably shouldn't be taking my anger and worry out on others, especially because my father was willing to help me, but I couldn't help that.

Adrian clambered inside and glanced at my father, silently asking where he could put the two suitcases. Zmey clasped his hands together and jerked his head behind him.

"You can put _both_ suitcases in the back room," He said, and when I snapped my head to look at him he held his hands up in defense, "As big as this place is, I only have one other room available."

"I'll sleep on the couch," I muttered, but Adrian shook his head.

"Don't be so pissy, little Dhampir," He whispered into my ear, "Who knows? Maybe you'll actually enjoy the extra time with me," Offering me a small smirk, he gave me a kiss to the cheek before heading to the back room, calling out before he shut the door, "I think I'll take a shower. Don't bother me unless there's a group of naked girls waiting to have an orgy with me!"

I rolled my eyes and turned to my father, lifting my arms to cross them across my chest as I stared at him expectantly.

"What?" He questioned innocently, looking around, "You look at me as if I've done something terrible. It's not as if I murdered the Queen, you know."

"Funny," I growled, "You know why I'm looking at you like this. Why am I here and what exactly are you planning on doing?"

"I can't help my own daughter?" He challenged, to which I narrowed my eyes.

"Not unless there's something in it for you, too."

"Tsk tsk, Rose, you have a poorly misguided sense of humanity," He placed his hand to his forehead and sighed.

"Let's see, humanity currently wants to deep fry me. You tell me how I'm supposed to be optimistic."

"I can see how that would alter your view," He nodded then gestured me towards the kitchen table, "Have a seat. Let us discuss."

"I have some questions I want answered," I declared, taking my seat across from him at the circular, wooden table.

He rose his eyebrow, "I'm usually the one asking questions."

I glared, "Not with me, you don't, so get used to it."

He let out a boisterous laugh, "Of course. So much like your mother."

"Don't speak of her," I growled, removing my eyes from his.

"Fair enough."

"Now, tell me what the Hell I'm doing here?"

He seemed unimpressed, "Hiding."

I wanted to punch him already. "Why here?"

He shrugged, "So I can protect you."

I was growing tired of his round about answers, "And what do you plan on doing to protect me?"

His eyes lifted and found mine, and something about them was unnerving; like he was hiding something. It was quiet for a moment before he answered, "All in due time, little one."

"I'm eighteen, I'm hardly little." He knew how to distract me, that was for sure. Insult the mighty Rose Hathaway by calling her little and you'd be lucky if your balls stayed connected to you.

He smiled, nodding his head, "I can see that. Now, I can see it hidden behind your eyes. There is something you want to share with me besides ruthless questions?" His eyes did that twinkle sort of thing that made me think he was psychic. My hand had subconsciously been fingering the paper in my pocket underneath the table, and I swallowed. If there was one person who could help me, it would be Zmey the Snake.

"I…before I was dragged off to my cage to be treated like an animal," I began, slowly removing the note from my pocket, "When I was leaving the court room, Amberose, the Queen's lover," I didn't miss the look that crossed my father's face and I sighed, "Yes, I know. But just wait, you'll be questioning what kind of person the Queen was in a few seconds."

I finally removed the entirety of the note from my pocket and slid it across the table to him, looking around to make sure Adrian wasn't going to pop out of our room. I heard the shower still going, and felt safe enough to take my hand off the dirty paper.

"Amberose handed me this from the Queen," I was whispering now, just in case, "Read it."

He took the note just as carefully off the table and opened it. I watched his eyes scan over the paper as he read, noticing the subtle changed in his face as he got to certain parts. When he was finished, it was like a rock was being forced down his throat as he swallowed.

"Illigitemate child…" He murmured, setting the note back on the table, "I can't believe it…"

"What?" I questioned, eager to hear his thoughts on what the Queen had said.

"If Lissa has an illegitimate brother, then do you know what this means?"

I shook my head, "I've thought of a few things, I guess, but what?"

He looked up at me, and for the first time I saw true excitement etched onto his face. This wasn't just excitement for the kill, this was excitement that gave him hope; a hope that his daughter could be saved.

"If Lissa has a brother out there, half or not…"

Suddenly the Queen's words echoed through my head.

"_The ancient rule says that unless there are two or more in a family, the Moroi cannot vote."_

"Lissa can vote!" I proclaimed loudly, jumping from my chair. It made a loud noise as it scooted back against the wooden floor.

"Shhh!" My father reprimanded, also standing up but more quietly than I had, "Be quiet! We can't let Adrian know."

"Why?" I asked, stopping my menstruations. Sure, earlier I had also decided that telling Adrian wasn't the right course of action, but I was curious as to what my father's reasons were.

"He's a royal," He said as if it were common sense.

"And? He was the Queen's nephew. _Favorite_ nephew. And you obviously trust him."

"To an extent, Rose," He said, shaking his head, "We can't afford to let him know…at least not yet. Not until we have a course of action planned out."

I ran a hand through my hair, "You know not telling him will be hard."

"You have faced harder tasks, my Rose."

I decided that that was about all I could handle from my father for that night. Bidding him a goodnight, I headed back to the room he had designated for Adrian and I. I could still hear water pouring in our connected bathroom, so I took the opportunity to begin unpacking the suitcase Adrian had left on the bed.

He'd definitely packed by his own bias. I found several tank tops and pairs of short shorts, along with the few dresses I owned that showed off what I was gifted with. A couple pairs of jeans were in there, so I wasn't so mad at him, but I would be lying if I said I felt like wearing jeans at the moment. It was all I had worn during my month and some-odd stay in that dirty cell.

I yawned and picked out some clothing I could sleep in. I decided that taking a shower tomorrow was the best option (as cruel as they were, they did allow me to take showers while I was down there, so I wasn't so much physically dirty as I was mentally).

"Damn it, Adrian," I murmured, lifting up the lingerie he had packed me. Of course he would choose the laciest things I owned, along with a few thongs.

Opting for my red lace, I slid the new bra and panties on without much worry (the water was still going) and pulled a black tank top over my head. Finally I grabbed a pair of black shorts and finished my wardrobe for the night.

I occupied more time by putting the clothing away in some drawers Adrian hadn't taken and placed the suitcase under the bed. It was a large bed; big enough for maybe four people, but it was still only one bed. A bed that Adrian and I would have to share.

"Won't this be fun," I spoke to myself, shaking my head.

"I think so."

I spun around, surprised to hear Adrian's voice. I had thought he was still in the shower, but I guess I had missed the stopping of the water due to my incessant thoughts.

"A-Adrian," I stuttered, trying to force my eyes away from him, but that was easier said than done. Standing before me, clad in only a towel around his waist, was a very wet, very mouth-watering Adrian Ivashkov.

"What's wrong, little Dhampir? You seem…rattled," He was moving in closer to me. I instinctually took a step back, but felt my legs hit the bed, "I see you found the clothing I packed you. I figured that this would be more comfortable than the other suffocating things you owned."

I shrugged my shoulders, swallowing and trying not to let anything bother me, "I guess. How was the shower?"

He shrugged in return, "Good. How was the talk with your father?"

I shrugged again, "Good. He's a very infuriating man."

Adrian smirked, "I can only imagine."

He was gaining distance on me, and quite quickly, he was next to me, bending over to remove some clothing out of the drawers next to the bed. I released a relieved sigh.

"I'm sorry about today," He started, still picking out clothes, "I know that that must have upset you, seeing Dimitri…"

"Don't worry about it," I interrupted, shaking my head, "I did what I had to do. Dimitri chose his path, and I chose mine."

"Running alongside me as a fugitive?" Adrian stood up, offering me a smirk. My eyes lingered on his muscular stomach.

"Wouldn't be as much fun with anyone else," I answered, smiling shyly. I ran a hand through my hair.

I felt Adrian's hand brush a stray hair from my face and slide it back behind my ear. I looked up from the floor and found his beautiful crystal eyes, and suddenly, I was as lost as I had been the time we almost made love.

"Rose," He murmured, bending down and pressing his lips tentatively onto the top of my head. However, he didn't stop there. He continued along, kissing my temple, then my cheek, whispering to me as he found my jaw line.

"I promise I'll protect you," He kissed my neck, down the slope of it until he was at my exposed collarbone. Involuntarily I craned my neck to the side, wanting him to kiss me more. "I promise that I won't leave you."

"Please don't," I found myself saying, my arms wrapping around his neck as I pulled him closer. I heard the clothing he had pulled out of his drawer hit the ground. His arms found either side of me as he lowered my back onto the bed, holding himself up.

"Kiss me," I pleaded, and all was lost.


	5. Ruined

Hi again, everyone! I just can't stop writing for this story. Hopefully I'll be able to finish this one! xD Which I will, if you guys keep reviewing. (;

Also, the polls are staying open for MAYBE another week! I won't tell you who's winning right now, but please do keep voting as it's very important to this story! I know everything seems confusing right now and many of you are wondering what exactly crawled up Dimitri's ass, but I believe that this is the appropriate way for him to act, at least for right now. I can't change how he was acting in the last book, that would be unrealistic. Sure he tried to save Rose, but that one event doesn't just make him do a complete 180. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!

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**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter Five**  
**Ruined.**

It felt so wonderful being held again. I was lost in the web that was a combination of Adrian's arms and his lips. It seemed like there wasn't a place on my body that he didn't want to kiss, and it made me feel like I was important; like I was needed. I hadn't felt like this in so long, I had forgotten what a rush it was.

I hadn't even felt this way the last time Adrian and I had spent the night together. I was so caught up that night trying to forget Dimitri, trying to prove to myself that I could move on, that the rush of having someone genuinely care about me had escaped me. I had wanted vindication the last time we were together; now all I wanted was to be appreciated.

And boy was Adrian good at showing his appreciation.

"You are so beautiful, Rose," He whispered, sliding both the straps of my tank top and bra off my left shoulder. His lips kissed every place they passed, and I had the delight of shivering at his subtle touch as his hands ghosted over my exposed abdomen. His hands were good at brushing off material without my notice. I took the opportunity to breathe in deeply, exploring the scent of Adrian's sweet smell that was intoxicating to my already reduced-to-mush brain.

"Mmm," He moaned, and I felt his fingertips press into my sides, "I love you, Roza…"

My brain shut down at those words and any and all movements my own hands were making up the expanse of Adrian's back stopped. My breath hitched in my throat while my mouth hung open, waiting for me to speak. No sound was produced, however, expect a small, timid squeak as tears sprung to my eyes.

Adrian seemed to notice this immediately and pulled back to inspect whatever damage it was he had done. Upon seeing my tears, his face gave in to that of regret and suddenly, I was pulled up and to his chest. His face buried into my hair and I felt his own shoulders shake with harsh breaths.

"Oh, Rose," He murmured as I felt a tear glide its way down my face, "I'm so sorry…I didn't think that…I just thought that maybe…You'd always seemed to like that name…"

"From him," I answered, but not in the hard voice that I would have liked to use. I was just too broken to find the strength after hearing that nickname. "And you are definitely not _him_, Adrian."

He froze then. All comfort that he was giving me, not that it had helped after his poor display of affection, seemed to stop. He was rigid and tight, and I realized then what effect my own words probably had on him.

But I was in no place to apologize. Even though I had a feeling he wanted to move away, I was the one that made it a reality first. I removed myself from his chest and wiped at my watery eyes, determined not to let him see the waterfall that was threatening to fall. I scooted towards the edge of the bed, rubbing my goose bump covered arms as I waited for him to say something, anything.

But it seemed neither of us had to. Luckily enough, we were separated when the door to our room opened without as much as a knock. My father, in all his Turkish glory, pranced inside with a large smile, having no idea what had just taken place. I had wiped my tears from my face, and I suppose to him that I just looked tired. It wouldn't be so farfetched to believe such a thing, since I was locked in an uncomfortable cell for a month. That or he was just still too new at this father thing. Either was equally probable.

"I made some dinner," He disclosed, jerking his head behind him. His hand still lingered on the knob, as if he didn't intend on shutting the door, "Come dig in?"

His eyes lingered on me, his lips in a subtle frown. Maybe my father was smarter than I gave him credit for. If this was an escape from the awkwardness of Adrian, it was a welcomed one.

"Sounds good," I heard Adrian mutter, "Smells good, too."

Both of us got up at the same time, and I waited for him to pass just as he waited for me to go first. Neither of us wanted to move and get in the other's bubble, it seemed. Finally, I took the first step, remembering that Adrian had to put on some clothing still.

"I'll be out there in a few," He commented, and neither of us replied.

As I made my way out to the kitchen, the overwhelming scent of microwave dinner hit me and I frowned, taking a glance at my dad who looked ridiculously sheepish.

"Did you honestly think I could cook?" He asked, sliding my black plated microwavable chicken nuggets across the table.

I took a seat, shaking my head as I tried to pick at the fake white meat. There was a bottle of mustard next to me and I squirted some into the plastic plate, dipping one of the impersonators in that. It tasted somewhat better, but the foul taste of disappointment still lingered on my tongue.

I couldn't believe Adrian had the nerve to call me that nickname. Logic told me that he had no idea to what extent the nickname had meant to me, but at the same time it seemed like common sense that anything having to do with Dimitri would strictly be off limits. It hurt hearing that nickname at all, but to hear it out of Adrian's mouth was even more terrible. I had been trying to move on with Adrian, and reluctantly I was trying to keep our pace slow, but after that mild outburst I wasn't sure what to do anymore.

At some point Adrian had made his way to the dinner table. He had put on a red t-shirt and a pair of jeans, an ensemble so simple it made me do a double take. I hadn't seen Adrian in jeans in a while, what with all the parties he'd been taking me to recently.

Abe gave him the same container I had been given and he, too, gave it a weird look. It seemed that, while Adrian was a smartalec rebel, he had grown up in the rich life and was used to having all his meals prepared by a five star chef. I resisted the urge to smile at his cute antics, however ironic they may be.

As we "feasted" in silence, I let my thoughts wander back to the note. Unfortunately I wasn't going to be able to not think about it until we'd found Lissa's brother. I still had the urge to tell Adrian despite our little tumble thirty minutes earlier, but I restrained myself by focusing on someone else who I missed greatly. Lissa.

I hadn't checked in on her in over a couple of hours, and I was surprised that I had forgotten to. Ironically enough, however, she seemed to be missing me, too, because like a tornado I was picked up and thrown into her eyes. She was feeling very strong emotions right now, so strong that even my extra training from Oksana proved to be in vain. She was pulling me in and forcing me to watch subconsciously.

"We are here to discuss the escape of detainee number two-hundred and fifty-four, a Miss Rosemarie Hathaway."

There was a hearing held about my escape? That was insane. You'd think they'd be sending out all the Guardians after my ass, not trying to have a civilized hearing over it. Sometimes the Moroi confused the Hell out of me. But besides that, the thing that made me the most curious was Lissa's presence there. Why did they need her?

Lissa looked around the room then, and I caught sight of several Guardians that I knew very well. Alberta was there, as strong as ever, but her face gave away her worry. I felt slightly touched, but I was not about to find her to thank her. I saw Mikhail, who visibly looked disgusted by this trial, and didn't seem to care who saw it. Of course my mother was there, and she looked as ice cold as she always had to me. She seemed indifferent, another trait she'd always had. She'd do her job first, always and forever.

And finally, I saw Dimitri. Had I been seeing this through my own eyes, I would have stumbled backwards. He was cleanly shaved and dressed in the same coat he used to wear when I was his student. His hair was pulled back, although some stray hairs lingered in his face. I wanted so badly to move those behind his ear. His hands were clasped in front of him as he stood still, much like a rock. And if that wasn't enough, I noticed he was staring straight at Lissa, right into her eyes.

As if he knew I was looking at him, too.

"First we will discuss why we locked Miss Hathaway up to begin with," The judge began, "For the murder of Queen Tatiana."

"She didn't do it!" Lissa cried out, and I wanted to slap her. This wasn't her place to stand up and defend me. I didn't want her to get into any trouble at all, especially not because of me.

"You will do your best to stay quiet unless spoken to, Miss Dragomir," The judge spoke cruelly. I wanted to punch the shit out of that hag. If Lissa had the ability to inherit her family's name and become a true royal on the court, the judge would not have the balls to speak to her like that. Her job would be in jeopardy if she ever spoke to any of the council royals as such. "In case everyone forgot, Rose was sentenced to trial a month ago. The hearing was scheduled for two weeks from now, but she's making that quite difficult."

"If you ask me, I think she's only helping herself be convicted," A Moroi man stated from the crowd. He was slightly under the average height, was bald and had a thick, gray mustache adorning his face, "Running from a crime you 'didn't commit' doesn't seem very logical."

No one asked him to be quiet like they had Lissa. I was infuriated. Not because this man was talking shit about me, but because the stupid, biased judge had the nerve to speak down to Lissa, someone who knew what she was talking about, but not to a man with as much knowledge as he had hair on his head.

"Obviously we cannot allow a murderer to run free," The judge spoke, then glanced around the courtroom, "So can anyone who knew Rose at all tell me the most likely places, or even the most unlikely places, you think that she would run off to?"

Her eyes lingered on Lissa's.

But I could feel through the bond that Lissa was not planning on talking. The judge looked around again.

"If it helps," A Guardian spoke up from against the wall. He was one of the men I had fought earlier. "She took off in a black Volvo. Someone had to be with her because she got into the passenger side."

"So she has an accomplice," The judge murmured, "Very nice, Mr. Gateway. Anyone else have any valuable information?"

"She's strong," Spoke a voice, one I immediately recognized, "Very strong. I wouldn't take her lightly, Judge."

Dimitri was talking. He was calling me strong? A small part of me felt elated, as did Lissa. It was nice hearing that he thought I was strong. Finally I wasn't being treated like a little girl. Maybe Dimitri didn't think I was so horrible, after all. Maybe he still--

"In fact, you should treat her as if she's a Strigoi," He growled, and crossed his arms over his chest.

And right then and there, any ounce of hope and happiness I had felt at his compliment was shattered by the worst insult in the world.

I pulled myself out of Lissa's head. I hadn't realized it, but somewhere along the way I had stopped eating. My father and Adrian were staring at me as if I had three heads.

"What?" I asked, popping another nugget in my mouth.

"Something wrong?" Adrian asked, and I could tell by the tone of his voice he knew what I had been doing.

I shrugged, "No. Look, um, I was just wondering what our plan is, or if we even have one. I can't stay here forever…"

Abe shook his head, "Rose, I told you, I can't tell you—"

"_Why not?_" I snarled, getting fed up with his refusal to answer anything I asked him, "Why can't I know what you plan on doing with_ my_ life?"

"As long as that life doesn't involve you in a cell, or being staked alive, why should it matter?"

I stood up abruptly, slamming my hands on the table. I was poised, ready to begin my tirade on my asshole and snake of a father, when once again I was pulled back into Lissa's head.

"So that settles it then," The Judge's voice rang throughout the courtroom, "Dimitri and Janine, you will head the attack. There is no way they can be ready for this. Knowing Abe, he will be so full of himself that he will assume nothing will penetrate his hole-proof plan. We'll prove him wrong, and we will capture the Queen's murderer. Tonight."

I caught sight of Dimitri's face, and once again, he was staring at Lissa as if he were staring through her. He shook his head and I saw him mouth the words,

"We're coming for you."

Shit.

I pulled myself out of Lissa's head to catch the looks of Abe and Adrian, this time looking at me as if I had four heads. I must have looked suspicious, because in one second I had gone from an eyebrow creasing, infuriated, ready-to-yell woman, to a timid, frightened, and mouth-dropped little girl.

"Rose?" Both men questioned wearily. I swallowed.

"They're coming," I whispered, "And they're coming fast."


	6. Fool's Game

Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter, but I have some things I want to address.

One, I'd like to state, so that everyone is clear on this, this is _my_ story. While I am following and using Richelle Mead's characters and storyline, this is still my story and I am free to do with it how I please. Which also means, if I decide to make Adrian a tutu wearing pretty princess, people will have to deal with it because its MY story (not that that will ever happen, haha).

Two, I have this entire story planned out, and I promise you that the way the characters are acting is for a REASON not because I want to make them "OOC" as someone so kindly put it. If you would stop being so critical and just be patient, you'd realize that is what is happening (especially after reading this chapter).

And finally, I'd like to state that it is very immature and childish to leave several "annoymous" reviews under different pen names. I can tell its still the same person by what they say, how they say it, and the grammar they use; and especially because all reviews were sent within ten minutes of each other. You got your "point" across the first time you left me a review, so changing your name and trying to insult me or hurt me by leaving several of the same reviews is just plain ignorant.

All that above was meant ONLY for the people who angered me, and "they" know who they are. (: Everyone else, I love you so much and thank you for your wonderful reviews!

Anywho, that's pretty much all I have to say. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I believe a lot of you will be pleased. (; At least until the next chapter, mwahahaha!

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**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter Six**  
**Fool's Game.**

"_What_?" Adrian mimicked my earlier actions and jumped from his seat, sending his chair gliding across the floor in an ungraceful manner. His hands slammed onto the table, which caused a knee jerk reaction from me. I jumped back, slightly startled, and tried to prepare myself for whatever was going to be yelled out of his mouth next, but I hadn't prepared myself for the most important thing, unfortunately.

My father.

"_Those slimy, disgusting, bastards!"_ He growled and slammed not his hands but his fists down onto the table. A glance at said table showed that he hadn't been holding back when he attacked it; a crack was now slowly crawling up from the place he'd hit to the center of the table. "_When I find out who ratted us out…_"

"Dad," I tried to reason, taking a step toward him, "Now's not the time to be angry…"

"She's right, Sir," Adrian spoke, ever the reasonable one, even when I was sure his heart was torn in two. "As much as I would love to rip out their intestines through their nostrils, we need to take action and get the Hell out of here. I'm sure you and your daughter are strong, but who knows how many they're sending—"

"Fourteen. They're sending fourteen," I answered, having caught that small snippet sometime earlier. Adrian cursed beneath his breath.

"Right, like I said, we need to get our things and get the Hell out of here. Fast. It's a good forty-five minute drive from their side to ours, so that leaves us enough time to pack, jump in the car, and be out of here before they—"

"They're fifteen minutes away," I corrected, shaking my head. Adrian snapped his head to me, bewildered.

"What? How-?"

"Underground passages, I would assume," Zmey answered for me in a murmur, scratching his chin. I could see the hamsters spinning in their wheels in his head, but they weren't running fast enough for me. I was eager to get out of there. And ironically, it wasn't because I was scared of being thrown back into a cell (although that was part of it), it was because I didn't want to have to face Dimitri again. Not after last time, and most definitely not after Adrian's slip up in the bedroom earlier.

"Rose, help me pack our bags, your Dad can go and get the car."

"No."

It was my turn to snap my head up and be surprised. Shaking my head and I stared at my dad, wondering who spiked his drink.

"Are you mental?" I questioned, closing our distance and looking up into the eyes of my father. He shook his head; he was unnaturally calm from how he was a few minutes ago.

"I'm afraid not, my Rose. We cannot run this time. They've already taken over the underground tunnels, and most likely have guards stationed at the exit just waiting for us, ones that we cannot get by without your dear friend's compulsion. There isn't any other place for us to go, sweet heart."

"What are you saying, Zmey?" I whispered, taking a step back. I hit the hard chest of Adrian. I hadn't realized he was that close. His hand found my upper arm and began rubbing it up and down, trying to comfort me even though he himself was hardly anything but. I appreciated the gesture, commending him on being able to do such a thing after what had happened earlier.

"We must fight."

"No!" I yelled, trying to move forward, but Adrian kept a firm grip on my arm, "Are you kidding me? Adrian has powerful magic, but not the kind that can fight off hordes of Guardians. And while I'm sure you can hold your own, Dad, you too can't fight off a ton. I'm the only real chance we have, and even that's not very great. I've never had to fight fourteen full grown, fully trained Guardians before. There's just no hope…"

I looked at my dad, trying not to be irked by what I saw. He was smirking. That slimy snake was smirking! And not only was he smirking, but he had that twinkle in his eye; the psychic one. The one that silently said, "Everything is going to be fine, Rose."

"Well," Adrian offered after a few minutes of silence, "What do we do until they get here?"

My father turned to him and replied, "Why, we wait, of course."

It was absolutely the longest wait I had to ever endure. Or it felt like it at least. I knew that the time I spent in that cell was obviously longer, but as I sat there on the same uncomfortable wooden chair I had earlier, listening to the anxious tapping of Adrian's fingers against the counter top, I felt like I was going mad. Any moment now and our door would be busted in and Dimitri would be ready to ring my neck.

Which was something I still couldn't bring myself to come to terms with. Even after everything, even after having the memories of a Strigoi, why would he be so cruel? It made absolutely no sense to me, especially after how he acted in the coffee house. He was willing to wring several Guardian's necks for me and risk everything he had worked to achieve just to protect me. Why was he choosing to be on their side now?

_Because it's easier,_ I tried to tell myself, moving my gaze to focus on something else for the thirtieth time, _Because his love has faded. He may care for you as a person, but ultimately his job must come first. It's the only thing he knows._

I was messing with my father's newly created crack in the table when the sound came. It wasn't subtle, just like I had expected. The door slammed open and Adrian and I jumped up, readying ourselves for the large group of Guardians that were going to pour through and try to take me back. I knew somewhere inside me we wouldn't win, but it had never been in my nature to go down without fighting. If I was going to go anywhere, it would be with a bang.

However, I couldn't help but notice that while Adrian and I had sprung up ready for the attack, my father had stayed quiet and reserved. Unlike earlier when he had slammed his fist into the table, he was calmly leaning against the counter, staring at us as if he expected something else from what we did. I furrowed my eyebrows, staring at him when I heard the boots walk down the hallway.

I spun on my heel, ready to take down the first wave but stopped in my tracks. Standing in front of me, and he was the _only_ one in front of me, was Dimitri himself.

"Have they sent you to take me yourself?" I growled out, wanting to spit on his face. I felt so betrayed, and to think that feeling was caused by the man who once promised to love me always.

Again I was unprepared. I was always told, not only by Dimitri but by anyone else who had ever had the _pleasure_ of training me, to expect the unexpected and this, I can honestly say, I would have never expected.

"Roze, calm down," Dimitri warned in a soothing tone, his lips defying gravity with his stunning smile. His arm extended and he held out a hand, "Don't go throwing punches just yet."

Severely confused, I looked from Adrian to my father and back to Dimitri.

"What exactly is going on here?" I demanded, continuing the menstruation. Someone was going to give me answers.

"I'll take her and talk to her, Abe, if you don't mind," Dimitri spoke, and I watched my father nod.

"_Are you insane?_" I seethed, whipping around to face my father, "Are you on their side now, too? Are all of you? I can't believe what I'm seeing—"

"Roza," Dimitri spoke quietly but sternly, and it made me stop, "Please, come with me. I don't have a lot of time," I looked at him from the corner of my eye, noticing his extended hand and his relaxed stance. He wasn't planning on fighting.

Slowly and tentatively I turned, following him but not taking his hand. The last thing I needed was another connection to him; I wasn't in the right mood to deal with the sparks that flew inside of me from his touch.

He led me into the back room where I was supposed to stay with Adrian and took a seat on the bed, gesturing to the spot next to him. Wearily I obeyed, but stayed far enough away that I would be able to anticipate an attack before it happened. I waited on him, never taking my eyes away from his body, even though it hurt to do so.

"First of all I must apologize," He recited with an accompanying sigh. He turned his body towards me more, clasping his hands in front of him, "With all that's been going on, and the attack back in front of the medical center, I know you must be confused, and part of me wants to blame the poor judgment of your father, but I know that ultimately it is my fault."

"What are you going on about?" I asked, desperately wanting to know why he was here and others weren't; why he was sitting on my bed having a discussion with me rather than trying to capture me.

"I'm not your enemy, Roza," He spoke quietly, cautiously reaching out to take my hand, "I am the furthest from it. I do not want to see you go to prison, much less be killed, for a crime you did not do."

"Then earlier…?"

"Was part of your father's plan," He answered, and the tone of his voice showed me he was clearly displeased with said plan of Zmey's, "You see, he believes that…if I act like I hate you, like I want to turn you in, it gives them less reason to have anything to do with me, which in retrospect allows me to secretly help you. I know you have a gift that you share through you and Lissa's bond, and I know you were using it earlier, which was why I said what I did. I brought Lissa to the hearing so you _could_ see what was going on, because I knew that you would check in and because I had no way of getting to you myself."

"Then why all of this? Why make me believe that you hated me?" I felt the tears welling up behind my eyes, threatening to spill. The relief that all of what had happened earlier was a lie was removing a lot of stress off my shoulders, but none the less I was weary of it. Was Dimitri really telling the truth?

"And this is the part where I say your father has poor judgment," He sighed, shaking his head and running his free hand through his hair, "He wanted you to believe I hated you, because he thought it would give you more incentive to leave and run away. He believed that, if you knew I was on your side, you wouldn't want to leave without me."

"And he's damn right!"

"Rose, please," He ran his thumb over my hand, "Your father has arranged for a pick up a few miles outside of the court's walls. I'm going to be driving you, your father and Adrian to that designated spot. It's the only way for you to escape the court. You have to understand that you cannot stay here, and I cannot go with you…"

"No!" I begged, forgetting the space I had placed between Dimitri and myself earlier on and scooted toward him, "Please…Dimitri, after all of this, knowing that you do still care about me, _you_ have to understand that I can't very well just leave the thing I've been fighting so long to obtain…"

Dimitri cut me off fast, "You have one thing right, Rose, but I believe you have a different definition of it than I," His eyes were rough just like his hands, and for a moment I swear I saw a flash of pain as he stared at me, but then it was gone, "What I said in the church that day…It's still true. I would never want to see you get hurt, especially after the things I did to you, but Rose...

"I don't love you."

It was like my heart was breaking all over again. No matter what false sense of hope I tried to have, I was always fighting against the truth: Dimitri didn't love me. He was openly admitting that maybe he once had, but he no longer could; not after becoming a Strigoi and doing what he did. Some part of him still retained that heartless, emotion-hating piece that each Strigoi contained.

No, there was absolutely no way that Dimitri, my Dimitri, was like that. I had seen the way his eyes looked right before Lissa staked him, and right after. It was a complete 180, and the love and pure emotion I'd witnessed behind his chocolate hues that day just couldn't be a mistake. He was _not_ a Strigoi and he did not have any part of one left besides the memories—

The memories.

That was it then, wasn't it? It was his memories holding him back from me. And not the memories of the people he'd killed. While I'm sure that those memories would haunt him for the rest of his life, the memories he had that prevented him from loving me were the ones I was most embarrassed of.

During the time Dimitri had captured me and was trying to convince me to be "awakened", he'd taken blood from me to keep me under control, and I didn't fight him. I was, in every sense of the word, his blood whore. Dimitri had seen me during my weakest moment in my entire life. I was degrading myself, all for him; all for just his _touch_. I had thrown all my pride out the window when I let him do that to me, and he remembered every second of it.

Dimitri couldn't love me because he thought I was a disgusting blood whore.

The tears were spilling now and I could help it no longer. All the times I had run from Dimitri to hide my tears, all the time I'd spent fighting them…I had no fight in me left. I pulled away from him, shrinking to the other side of the bed as I sobbed.

"Roza," Dimitri sounded pained and tortured, but he didn't move from his spot on the bed, "Roza please…don't do this…"

"Please don't call me by that name," I whispered, wiping at my face, "I can't handle it."

It was silent now, and stayed that way for a few more minutes as I sobbed. Later I was sure I would regret this, but right now, I couldn't help myself from not caring. More minutes passed until finally, the bed squeaked as Dimitri stood up.

I was sure he was going to walk out like he had all the other times, but found myself surprised as he made his way over to my side of the bed. He scooped me up into his arms and sat in the very place where I had been a few moments before, whispering for me to be quiet.

"Shhh," He hummed, beginning to rock me back and forth, "It will be okay. It will all be okay…" I felt him begin to run his hands through my hair as he continued to hum to me. I hiccupped from crying and buried my head into his chest, inhaling his ever intoxicating scent as I tried to commit it to memory for good.

It felt like forever he sat there, rocking me back and forth and humming me into a relaxed state. I had never felt so calm and peaceful in my life, and soon enough, the lack of sleep I had encountered over the past month was deciding to catch up to me. My eyes began to droop, and before I could even realize it to fight it off, sleep overwhelmed me.

"You'll always be my Roza…"


	7. Back So Soon?

Hi again, guys! I know I normally update every day, but I've been pretty busy so sorry for this taking longer than normal! I just want to thank every one for all the reviews! They mean SO much to me and are what keep me updating. I want to address some specific reviewers real quick, mostly because they are anonymous (meaning they don't have an actual account here) and this is the only way I can tell them what I think!

**Alaura - **I want to thank you for your reviews because from the beginning they have definitely made me smile! You were the first to leave me such a long review and I really enjoyed it. Also, I want to let you know that when I addressed the person pissing me off last time, I was NOT referring to you AT ALL! I loved your suggestions and ideas, and you are welcome to keep sharing them! I was talking to someone else. So please keep up the great reviews. (:

**pheobe lelouge -** Thank you for "liking the first 3 chapters", but I would appreciate if you didn't leave me a review telling me how stupid you think the rest of MY story is. If you're going to offer constructive criticism, please do it in a more intelligent way and back your comments up rather than just saying it's "stupid". I would like to address that, 1. I do not care if you think I write like Richelle Mead because I do not aspire to copy her writing technique. That wouldn't be very original, and I believe it's quite impossible as everyone has their own style. 2. YOU are not Richelle Mead, so I don't believe you don't have any jurisdiction telling me what Dimitri and Rose would act like. Again, I stress that this is MY story, and they will act how I want them to. If you don't like that, don't read. 3. If you are going to try and tell a WRITER what they did wrong, please fix your _own_ grammar before doing so; they might take you a bit more seriously. 4. Thanks for giving me your "expert" opinion on how I write emotions, by the way. I really took it to heart when I was given a 6 out of 10.

**Chil -** Your review made me so very good about myself! Thank you SO much, although I would beg to differ on my writing being like J.K. Rowling and Richelle Mead. (: Either way, your review is what sparked me to write this next chapter and get it up, so thank you! I look forward to any more reviews you leave me the honor of reading.

**To the rest of you -** I really appreciate the reviews and I don't think I can ever stress that enough! I wish I could thank you all, but there's just so many of you! ): I love knowing what you guys love and what you think should happen. Also, let it be known that I CAN very well take constructive criticism, but I do not call simply saying my writing is "stupid" constructive at all. Please let me know what you think I should fix, or parts that didn't make sense. Again, thank you, and please keep reviewing!

I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter of Last Sacrifice. (:

* * *

**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter Seven**  
**Back So Soon?**

When I finally woke up, I wasn't sure if my eyes were even open yet. I blinked a few times and managed to convince myself that yes, they _were_ open, but I still couldn't figure out why it was completely pitch black, nor why the bed I had accidentally fallen asleep in felt so scratchy.

I tried to sit up but ended up hitting my head and was forced to lie back down. Unfortunately, "lying" down wasn't exactly as nice as that word sounded, and I realized that I was also being forced to crunch into a tiny ball. Okay, so after all that had happened to me in my life, and what had happened today, even I, Rose Hathaway, still wasn't ready to be kidnapped.

I started to feel my claustrophobia creeping up on me and was trying extremely hard not to start banging on, what I assumed was, the top of the trunk. I needed the upper hand of stealth as much as possible. I could hear the revving of the car engine and occasionally I would be tossed around, signifying I was definitely in a moving vehicle.

_Alright, Rose, it's time to get back to normal_, I chanted in my head, trying to figure out a way to get out of this situation. My eyes still burned from my earlier sob fest, and it was then that I remembered what exactly had occurred earlier.

Dimitri. Dimitri had been there, telling me about why he had "betrayed" me, and he had told me that he didn't love me anymore. Was he the one that had kidnapped me? Had he lured me into a false sense of security only to wait 'til I was vulnerable and take advantage of me? If that were the truth, then my father either foolishly trusted him, or was in on it, too.

It was right when I decided that I needed a plan that I felt the car lurch to a stop. A car door opened and shut again with a slam, and I was praying that whoever it was that had me hadn't suddenly decided that I wasn't worth the waste of trunk space. Then again, this could work to my advantage, because if they really were going to try and get rid of me, they had made a very stupid mistake. A very, _very _stupid mistake, but none the less important to my escape.

My hands were free, as were my legs. If they wanted to toss me into a river or stake me without much of a hassle, they certainly should have at least tied me up.

I tried to inch my way into a more "springable" position, trying to find an exact angle on which I could jump from the trunk and attack my kidnapper. Luckily I found it just in time for the trunk to pop open, and without a second thought or glance, I flew out of the trunk and latched onto whoever it was that was there. They obviously hadn't been expecting it, because with a loud grunt, we both hit the ground.

I wasn't exactly ready for the impact, either. The person was extremely built, and there was literally no cushion for me to rebound against. I ended up having the air knocked out of me, which caught me even more off guard. Well, there went my ability to lash out with any threatening or negative comments. Perhaps this was a stupid idea after all.

"Had I actually been your kidnapper, that would have been a very poor attempt at assassinating me."

My head snapped up. I wanted to scream and make a very snarky, smart ass comment, but at the moment I was too busy trying to regain control over my lungs. I rolled over and tried to stand up, heaving in and out like I was ready to throw up. It wasn't the most pleasant feeling in the world, and with a sigh of resignation, I felt Dimitri's arms wrap around me to help me stand up. I clutched at my stomach and finally, halfway through me deciding I was going to just die from lack of air, I felt the fresh rush of oxygen hit my lungs.

I took several deep gulps of air and heard Dimitri chuckle. I tilted my head up to glare at him, not at all amused by what he seems to think is quite hilarious.

"Care to tell me what's so funny, comrade?" I questioned, secretly pretending not to notice that his arms are still wrapped around me. I considered faking stumbling or something, but I've never been that great of an actor, and if there's anyone that can tell when I'm lying, it's Dimitri.

He continued chuckling, "Nothing. Just…the way you looked when I opened the trunk!" He decided that letting out a boisterous laugh at this point was acceptable. I felt like I was about to pop, and trying to fight the urge to stomp on his foot was definitely a difficult task to accomplish. Trust Dimitri to be able to reduce me to want to perform the pathetic antics of a five year old.

"I don't think it was funny, considering you thought sticking me in the trunk while I was asleep was okay, even though the probability of me waking up was quite high. What did you think my reaction was going to be when I woke up to complete and utter darkness?"

He shook his finger, wagging it in my face as if he wanted to annoy me even further, "Wasn't my idea. It was his."

He jerked his finger behind him and finally took the time to notice my father standing there next to another car, dusting himself off. Adrian stood next to him, rolling up several pieces of rope.

"You took a separate car?" I asked, severely confused. Adrian nodded.

"I drove it. We couldn't expect to stick you and your father both in that tiny trunk, although we tried."

I managed to ignore the second comment somehow, instead choosing to question the first, "You drove? How'd you get out?"

"I'm the Queen's nephew, of course."

I stared at him dryly, not believing a word.

He cleared his throat, "It also helps, of course, that Lissa had been teaching me a bit of compulsion before all this happened…"

"He's not very good at it," My father interrupted, trying to get rid of the wrinkles in his shirt, "I could hear the guard questioning him for at least fifteen minutes before it finally worked."

I rolled my eyes, running a hand through my hair. It occurred to me that Dimitri had moved away some time ago, and I felt a shiver run throughout me, as if my body wasn't used to not having him there by my side. Choosing not to let this show, I looked between each man there, raising my brows.

"Alright so," I started, tapping my chin, "What exactly happened?"

It was Dimitri who spoke this time, "Well, you'd fallen asleep and, like I said, your father figured that letting you rest was a better option. You, your father, and Adrian then proceeded to escape down to the car, right in time for the rest of the Guardians to appear."

"I carried you to the car," Adrian butted in unexpectedly, as if that tidbit of information was important. My father and Dimitri seemed to think the same thing and with a matching look, stared at Adrian before he continued, "I placed you in the car, and then shoved your father in the other one after he tried to fit in yours to no avail."

"Where he proceeded to _tie me up_ for some unknown reason," My father growled, turning his look at Adrian into a glare. I finally noticed that he was rubbing his wrists.

Adrian shrugged, "You know how your father can get…I mean, you have to get your rash, impulsive behavior from somewhere, Rose."

"Alright, newly married couple," Dimitri stopped them, holding up his hands as a sign of quits. They shut up their bickering and he turned to me, "Anyways, in case you didn't know, I had told the Guardians originally that I was going to show up there before them in order to lure you into a trap, which was why I showed up there by myself. They agreed and, when they eventually arrived there, I simply told you that you had already escaped by the time I arrived. I said I heard from a few neighbors that a brown haired girl had run toward the east part of the court, and they took the bait. This made getting out of the north gate easier, but like your father said," Dimitri coughed, patting his chest, "It could have gone smoother…"

"Hey," Adrian barked, holding up his hands defensively, "I've been doing it for all of, what, three weeks? I'd say it was a pretty good attempt."

"Well, that clears a lot up, I guess," I finally added, "But…now what?"

This caused all of their shoulders to sink. Adrian began rubbing the back of his neck and mumbled something like, "I'll leave this one up to you guys…" And headed towards the car he'd arrived in.

"Well, Dimitri will head back to the court to keep these tracks covered," My father said, "And we'll be on our way to Siberia."

My heart instantly began pulsing erratically. Not only did I not want Dimitri to leave, I did not want to go to Siberia.

"I think I've had enough of Siberia for one lifetime," I tried to tell him honestly, swallowing my pride, "Is there no where else we can go…?"

Unfortunately, my father shook his head, "No, I'm afraid not, Rose. It's the safest place for us to be right now."

I turned to Dimitri, "And…you have to stay here?"

Solemnly, he nodded his head. I saw a twinge of regret and fear flash through his eyes, but decided not to call him out on it. The last thing I needed was to be embarrassed any further. It was probably for the best he stayed there, anyways. I needed to be away from him in order to move on. I tried to tell myself I would have Adrian, but for some reason, that just wasn't cheering me up.

Who was I kidding? That 'some reason' was because I would never love Adrian like I loved Dimitri.

I cleared my throat, "Well, I guess I'll see you then, comrade."

I was trying to be strong, especially because I was in front of my father (I wasn't sure if he'd been clued in on Dimtri and I's past relationship yet), but when I flashed my eyes over to where he had been standing, he was no longer there.

I forced myself to look at Dimitri again. This was, potentially, the last time I was going to see him. He had duties here at the court to take care of, the least of all preventing them from finding out he was involved with the very fugitive they were searching for.

It was the hardest thing in the world, standing there in silence and watching him. The way his hair billowed in the wind and how his chocolate eyes, which once looked so warm and inviting, stared at me with recluse and rejection.

"This isn't goodbye, Rose," He tried to say, but I stopped him.

"Yes, it is," I said sternly, "You need to stay here, and I need to…leave," I swallowed again, "If, by chance, we run into each other again someday…just pretend you don't know me, alright? It'll be easier that way."

Dimitri frowned, but didn't retaliate. I'd be lying if I said there was no part of me that didn't want him to. In fact, every part of me at that point in time was wishing to Hell and back that he would fervently refuse what I had told him, sweep me up in his arms, kiss me passionately and tell me that we could run off by ourselves and be together forever. But I knew that wouldn't happen.

At least I'd prepared myself this time. No more sobbing or tears for me. No, Rose Hathaway was going to be strong.

It was silently awkward for a few more moments before Dimitri took the first step forward. He reached out and enveloped me with his arms, pulling me to his chest as he buried his face in the crook of my shoulder. His fingers ran through the tresses of my hair and I heard him mumble something akin to, "I always loved your hair…" As quickly as he'd come, though, he pulled away, leaving a kiss on my forehead. The spot singed with regret for a moment as I clenched my fists, trying to stay strong.

"Stay safe," He whispered in my ear, and then his scent was gone as he completely removed himself.

"Goodbye, Dimitri," I said fiercely, nodding my head at him. If there was one thing Strigoi Dimitri had taught me, it was to be strong. I had to be strong. "Take care of Lissa for me and…tell her I'm sorry."

Dimitri blinked a few times before nodding his head back, "Goodbye, Guardian Hathaway."

I managed to ignore the sting at the name, and turned on my heel. I approached the car and paused at the door, wanting so badly to look back at Dimitri one final time. But looking back did nothing for moving forward, which is what I wanted so badly to do. I pulled the door open with a newly resolved strength, getting inside and shutting it.

But as soon as the car began to pull away, the resolve melted and I was being cradled by Adrian as I sobbed once more.

I was not only leaving Dimitri, but everything I loved. My mom, Mikhail, Eddie, Mia, Tasha, Christian and Lissa. Lissa would hate me, I was sure of it. The last time I'd left without telling her, it irreversibly damaged our friendship, and this time, I was sure it was the final straw.

_At least she'll be safe_, I tried to think optimistically, _Dimitri is the best Guardian she'll ever have…_

"You can check in on her every once and awhile, Rose," Adrian tried to comfort me some time later, running his hand through my hair, "And…I have a theory," He began tentatively. I lifted my head to stare at him.

"Which is?" I asked, wiping away the now dried tears off my face.

"Perhaps I can learn to channel my spirit through you…" He murmured, out of range for my father to hear who was in the driver's seat, "And you can visit Lissa in her dreams…"

I shot up, and for the first time in a long while, I felt true hope, "Really? That would be so amazing, you have no idea!" The idea of channeling his spirit through me…I had never thought of it! Lissa could use her powers on me to heal and calm me, why wouldn't Adrian be able to do the same thing in a different way?

Adrian smiled softly and brushed some hair from my face, "I think I do. I felt the exact same way when you went off to Russia yourself and I realized I could visit you in _your_ dreams."

I smiled back at him, "Yeah well, you're going with me this time."

"Luckily," He commented, chuckling, "I had to convince your father to let me come, of course."

"I'll bet that was hard," I snorted, taking a glance at my father's face in the rear-view mirror, "Speaking of the Devil, what is the plan when we get to Siberia, anyways?"

Adrian stared at me so seriously then, I thought he was about to implode. I didn't waiver my own stare however, and waited for him to answer me. Finally, he opened his mouth, but closed it right after, then opened it, and then closed it again. It seemed he was fighting some internal battle.

"Well?" I demanded, sitting up straight.

"You know that as long as you're alive, they will be looking for you, right?"

I nodded slowly, "Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Adrian visibly swallowed and his eyes went wide and fearful.

"We have to stop them from looking…" He tried, but I still didn't get it.

"Stop beating around the bush, Adrian," I growled, and I watched his eyes widen a bit.

"We have to fake your death, Rose. It's the only way."

_Dear God, _I thought, closing my eyes, _please help me…_

But I severely doubted I'd be heard. God didn't seem to like me too much these days.


	8. Heartbreak

Hey guys! I want to apologize for the long wait, first off. I'm sorry that it took WAY longer than usual for me to put this out, but I promise it was because of good reason. The last two weeks were full of graduation rehearsals, graduation parties, and of course, graduation! That's right, I'm finally a graduate! Then, after that, I went to Six Flags as a present from my boyfriend. So I've been a bit busy and such with life, but I promise that updates are going to continue regularly from now on (or at least, that's the plan!). I tried to make this chapter a bit longer to reward you guys (well, MOST of you guys) for your patience, but I had to stop it where it is to keep along my outline, haha.

I also want to thank you guys for your TREMENDOUS support! After last chapter's "flamers" (all two of them, haha, or really, I'm beginning to think there was only one of them, they just decided to use a penname the second time), you guys REALLY responded and made me feel amazing. Any hurt I had after that pathetic exchange of words was immediately gone by the LOADS of reviews I received about my writing and this story. I'm so happy you guys like this. I can only hope that you like this next chapter as much as the rest of them. I know there's no real romance going on right now, but I promise, if you continue being your patient selves, you will receive.

**REMEMBER: Vote on my profile for who Rose should end up with! Poll ends on Monday!**

Also, btw, just a suggestion: Threatening to hurt or kill me, or whatever, because I haven't updated, is definitely not the route to take. It doesn't make me want to update any faster, and you're lucky I have even more amazing reviewers to make me update, or else you'd be out of luck.

Anywho, enjoy!

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**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter 8**  
**Heartbreak.**

I suppose that, at some point, I had fallen asleep. I was never one for long car rides leading to absolutely nowhere, and once again I was exhausted. Although I guess this one was to my death, but I figured that if I was going to "die", I was going to catch up on the lost hours I had gained during my awful stay in jail. At the time, I was enjoying a wonderful dream where I was the best Guardian in the world, Lissa's Guardian to be exact, and I was happily wed to none other than the love of my life, Adrian.

Adrian?

It would be humorous to some to say that the fact that I married Adrian was enough to make my unconscious self realize I was in a dream, but I'm positive Adrian wouldn't be too happy about it. And then, remembering dreams and Adrian were almost synonymous with each other, I forced myself to wake up.

My eyes slowly opened and the first thing I realized was that I was laying horizontal, not vertical and pressed against the window like I was when I first fell asleep. Then the rest of my senses woke up and I figured out I was lying on legs, and as much as I could have wished those legs belonged to Dimitri, I knew who's they were.

"You know, it's not nice purposely giving people nightmares."

Adrian chuckled, "I was only trying to make you happy, if only for a brief moment. Of course, I couldn't do so without selfishly throwing in a small tidbit for myself…"

"A poor tidbit choice indeed."

"You didn't even let me get to the happy parts of our romance."

"I don't think I would have survived."

I watched Adrian role his eyes then felt his arm lift up, unwinding from its previous space around me. He probably expected me to want to move away from him and go back to my place next to the window. I expected to want to do the same thing, but I didn't budge. As much as I teased about the dream, in some ways, it had been nice. Not necessarily the part of being married to Adrian, but more so the overall feeling the dream gave me. Happiness. I hadn't felt true and uninterrupted happiness in quite some time, I realized, as I felt Adrian's arm slowly lower back onto me. And boy, that dream had definitely contained happiness. I was Lissa's full-time, official Guardian; I was respected far and wide in the Moroi and Dhampir world…

I had a love that loved me back.

I swallowed as Adrian began to pick at the stray hairs in my face, removing them one by one. It seemed that every action I committed was followed by some guilty resolve that I couldn't shake. On one hand I wanted to lay in Adrian's lap, have him stroke my hair and be happy about it, but on the other hand my conscious was screaming at me that I wasn't ever going to be happy, that he wasn't Dimitri, that he never would be. It was almost as if that part of me felt I was cheating on him, and I would be lying if I said it wasn't completely and utterly infuriating.

Was I never going to have a completely satisfied life without Dimitri in it?

"Rose, Adrian," My father's voice interrupted, glancing at us from the rear-view mirror, "We're almost at the airport."

I had almost completely forgotten that my father was there, and that, you know, cars need drivers to get anywhere. I had my moments, I conceded. I nodded my head and pulled myself up from Adrian's lap, wincing and groaning at the crackling pain message I was receiving from my aching back. I watched Adrian bite his thumb to keep from laughing and I promptly glared at him.

"Next time I'd appreciate it if you didn't make me lay on your lap," I snarled, stretching my limbs.

Adrian held up his hands, "No, no, Little Dhampir, it was _you_ who fell on _me_."

"I'm sure," I replied, my tone laced with sarcasm, "Just like I'm sure it was me who chose that dream."

"I went with what your subconscious wanted."

"My subconscious' desire is hardly to marry you, Ivashkov."

"Oh, we're on last name terms now, Hathaway?"

"Don't test my anger."

"Okay newlyweds," My father butted in ironically, and I felt the car lurch to a stop, "We're here. Get your asses out of the damn car and help with the luggage."

I sent one last glare towards Adrian and climbed out of the car, dusting myself off. He followed not soon after and, once again, opened that large bear trap of a mouth of his.

"Getting rid of my cooties, are we?" He teased, walking parallel to me towards the trunk where we met my father. I narrowed my eyes and my father took the silent opportunity to turn towards Adrian himself.

"Be careful, Ivashkov," He warned, standing up right and towering over my accompanying Moroi, "You might dig yourself a hole you just can't get out of."

"Of course, sir," Adrian spoke, but he didn't seem as phased by it as I would have hoped.

"Where are we headed now, Dad?" I questioned, licking my lips afterwards at the weird linger of taste that saying 'dad' left on my tongue. I'd said it before, but I guess I just wasn't used to it completely.

"Straight to Siberia. I got us a private jet."

"What?" I guess the things my father could get done were still a surprise to me, too.

"Grab your things and let's go, we have to get through that door before the airport opens," He confided, grabbing a black suitcase. Adrian grabbed his own blue suitcase and I faltered as I wrapped my fingers around the strap of mine.

"What about the car?" I raised my voice after him, taking my suitcase out and starting to follow him.

"Another reason we need to get out of here," He spoke, quickening his pace. I caught up to Adrian and opened my mouth, poised to ask another question when I heard a loud explosion behind me.

"Holy shit!" I yelled, letting go of my suitcase and covering my head. A few yards away, I watched a car door rebound off the concrete, the glass shattering around it.

I turned around and watched our used-to-be-car sparkle with the large flames covering it. Men covered in all black ran up to it and, rather than freaking out, began to put out the fire with large hoses. I would have continued watching had my father not grabbed my hand and jerked me forward.

"Come on, Rose."

"What are they doing?" I asked, stumbling as I tried to grab my suitcase.

"Getting rid of our existence."

"Wait, what?" I turned my head one more time to see another car being brought in, the men who had put the fire out starting to bang the front of it up with large hammers.

"Rose," Adrian snapped, and I looked at him with a gaping mouth, "This is how you die."

"Here? Like that? Kind of anti-climactic, you know, a car crash…I thought you'd go a more…creative route, Zmey…" I was complaining on the outside, but on the inside, my organs were wrenching while my heart was wishing that he would have chosen any other disaster besides a car crash.

"It had to be here and it had to be relatively simple," My father answered as we reached the door, "If it were anywhere else, they would go looking there, look for records, and I don't have as much influence in other places as I do here. If it was anything more than an accident, they would have researched even harder, because something too obvious is always a trick."

"They didn't see the Queen's murder that way, apparently," I muttered, taking one last look at our "car wreck", which was now being set on fire again, "And how are they going to dismiss the fact that there are no bodies?"

"Burned alive," Adrian answered, shutting the door behind us.

"Do…do Dimitri and Lissa know about this plan?" I murmured, hoping to God that they did. If Lissa thought that I burned alive in a car accident, it would eat her alive. She had saved me once from death in a car accident before, and to know this time she wasn't there to do it again…

It was silent for quite some time before my father answered, apparently contemplating what he would say, "No."

I felt my insides turn to putty. Oh, poor Lissa…

"Dimitri doesn't even know?" I asked quietly, not liking the echoing of our footsteps in the small hall.

"No."

"Why?" I demanded.

"Because, Rose, as you will learn, there is only a certain amount of trust you should put into anyone."

"And that amount is?"

"The amount that can get you what you want. Anymore than that is compromising everything."

"They deserve to know!"

"Now is not the time to argue about this, Rose Marie Hathaway!" My father growled, and it was the first time since our estranged meeting in Turkey he had been angry at me. "Please, just get on the plane. We need to be out of here by the time they arrive."

I hadn't noticed we were at a terminal. A longer hallway led to the inside of a plane, and I felt like that hallway was, literally, the end of my life. The end of my dream to be a Guardian, the end of Lissa and I's friendship, the end of any hope that was left between Dimitri and I…

Suddenly, a revelation hit me like a ton of bricks.

"Lissa!" I cried, dropping my bag, "Oh God, Lissa, how will she survive without me? She'll go crazy! I won't be there to heal her! Stop, we have to stop, I have to heal her, I have to help her, I have to…I have to…!" I was turning around, ready to run back and give myself in. Adrian wrapped his arms around me and tried to hold me still, but that was the last thing I wanted to do.

"Rose, please, stop!" He grunted out, "Please, get on the plane!"

"I need to help her! I have to give myself in, I have to be there for her!"

My father stepped in this time, and I was literally a stuck when his arms wrapped around me. He was stronger than Adrian, it seemed, and stronger than me. He didn't have his goons fight all his battles, I realized.

"Get her bag, Adrian," He commanded, and I heard Adrian shuffle away to do so. My father said nothing to me, probably knowing it was absolutely useless, and instead began carrying me to the plane.

"PLEASE STOP!" I screamed, and by this time I had tears pouring down my face. All this time, up until now, I hadn't felt true fear. Longing, desire, and hope, yes, but fear? No. Now, realizing what kind of trouble Lissa would be in without me, it made me so scared I was trembling. I was alone in this, and now Lissa was going to be alone, too. "STOP! IT'S NOT FAIR TO HER! SHE DOESN'T DESERVE THIS!"

"ROSE!" My father yelled, and he shoved me into a seat. He towered above me and blocked any escape I had to the aisle. I stopped the yelling, but I was whimpering. I pulled my knees to my chest and buried my head between them, trying to stop shaking.

"Do you think that she would have had any better of a chance with you in jail? With you _dead_?" He roared, and I noticed his knuckles were white from gripping the two adjacent seats next to him so hard, "We have no other choice, and I long for the day you understand that."

It was silent then, minus my small whimpers. Adrian was preoccupied with putting our small amount of luggage in the overhead carriers. My father took a deep breath and then nodded his head to the pilot who was looking at him for confirmation.

"Lissa…" I whispered, clawing at the window as I watched the runway begin to pass us by. The jet was beginning to take off, and I felt completely out of control. I hated feeling out of control.

The seat next to me stayed empty the entire duration of the ride. Adrian had tried once or twice to come over to me, but it seemed that my demeanor was even too much for him. I idly stared outside the window, watching the blank sky pass us, the sun high in the sky. The sun in the sky meant that it would only be Guardians arriving at my death scene. I wondered if Dimitri would be among them, and what he would think.

Would he even care? A part of me (a large part, albeit) believed that no, no he wouldn't care. Would my mother care? Perhaps. But she'd never been that close with me to begin with, it wouldn't be that hard to go back to her every day job and pretend I still existed somewhere. It wasn't as if she believed I was innocent, anyways.

"If its of any comfort," Adrian began at some point near the end of the trip, standing in the aisle, "You still have the bond…you can check in on her from time to time."

"No, Adrian, that is not of any comfort to me," I hissed, but didn't remove my eyes from the window, "I don't particularly care for seeing her unhappy or crying."

"Would seeing her happy make you feel any better?"

I thought about what he said for a few minutes then. Truthfully, no, seeing her happy would not be any better. That would just mean that she was happy without me, and that wasn't something I could stomach, either. I had always figured Lissa needed me, and knowing I wasn't needed by anyone would be an awful thing to experience.

"Thanks for your help, Adrian, but it didn't really help at all!" I snapped, glaring at him. He frowned and shook his head, retreating back to his seat behind my father.

"We have arrived in Siberia, please buckle your seatbelts and prepare for descent," The pilot's voice recited over the intercom, and I begrudgingly buckled my seatbelt.

I didn't want to step off the plane, ironically, even though I hadn't wanted to step onto it at the time. I made myself, however, dragging my suitcase behind me. It had been more than a couple of months since I'd stepped foot in the terrain of Siberia, but I knew that none the less I didn't want to. The sun had set about an hour before we had arrived, and I knew that now my father and Adrian would be able to walk around without hindrance.

"Where are we going?" I murmured, blinking and trying to get rid of the crusty feeling of dried tears. It was an awkward feeling at best, and although I was still mostly heartbroken, I still held onto fractions of my pride. They had seen me cry, but I was not going to give them a free pass to remember it.

However, my father chose not to answer. He stayed quiet and I watched him give Adrian a look that obviously told him he'd be better off staying quiet, too. I wanted to punch the both of them, but I held back. I could probably afford to get a few hits on Adrian, but I wasn't exactly sure what kind of fighter my father was yet and now was not the time to start. I needed my strength, too, it seemed, because as far as I could tell, we were walking whatever distance it took to get where we needed to go.

I wasn't one for complaining, but a few hours after walking, my feet were throbbing incessantly. I could hear the distant sound of crickets chirping, the only sound for miles it seemed. We were walking through a large stone city, but it seemed long ago abandoned. Echoes were whispering around us, and I was anxiously fingering my palms as I listened to every sound. After all, we were walking around at night. It was rare to happen to come upon a Strigoi (as much as everyone feared it they really weren't _everywhere_), but none the less I was the only capable fighter in our small group, and I wasn't going to let any false sense of security overwhelm me.

"Well, looks like we're almost there," My father finally spoke, and I could make out a small house in the distance.

"Not close enough for me to get my hopes up," I murmured, glancing around.

"Now, Little Dhampir," Adrian cooed, turning towards me and walking backwards as he gave me one of his famous smirks, "No need to be paranoi—"

"GET DOWN!"

I threw my body forward against Adrian's, successfully knocking him down. He hissed as his back slid against the rocky dirt, but I wasted no time in making sure he was okay. A little scrape wouldn't kill him, but a full grown Strigoi, now that had the potential to do some damage.

"Zmey!" I called, and it seemed my father was showing me the aptitude of his fighting ability. He was blocking every punch that the Strigoi was throwing at him, and ducking any others. None the less, I didn't feel comfortable letting him continue fighting, and with a head-start, surprised the attacking Strigoi by slamming my elbow into his back. My father had seen this coming, luckily, and had moved out of the way just in time for the Strigoi and I to skid down into the dirt much like I had with Adrian.

He began hissing beneath me and I was hit with the realization that, once upon a time, Dimitri had been this thing in front of me. Once upon a time, I had wanted to kill him as much as I wanted to kill the one beneath me.

"Rose!"

I heard my father's voice and, as I kept the Strigoi pinned (which was a hard thing to do), turned to face him. He was digging through his backpack frantically, searching for something. Whatever it was, he wasn't finding it fast enough.

"You're the little blood whore!"

My head immediately snapped back to the writhing demon beneath me, my eyes wide. What did he just call me? My hands found his throat and I began to choke him, holding the rest of him down with my knees on either side of him.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" I snarled, lifting his head and slamming it into the ground. If Strigoi weren't so resilient, his head would have exploded.

"The little blood whore who willingly…let Belikov…drain her…" He was gasping for air now, clawing at his throat, but he was just simply out of reach. His blood red eyes stared into mine and I wanted so badly to stake him.

"Shut up!" I yelled, kneeing him in the groin. He let loose another howl as I yelled again, "You filthy demon!"

"Better…a demon…than…" I squeezed his throat and he began coughing. I had stopped him from talking, at least momentarily.

"Rose!" This time I could tell by the tone of his voice that my father had found what he was looking for. I faced him and raised my hand just in time to catch a stake flying at me. Flipping it in my hand so I was holding it correctly, I held it above his chest, ready to plunge it into him.

He stared back at me defiantly, not even trying to beg for his life. His lips curled into a sadistic smirk as he evaluated me, then with the little amount of air he had room to use, whispered harshly.

"Blood. Whore."

The blood splattered across my face as I stabbed the wood through his chest, driving it straight through his heart. I wiped my hand across my forehead, removing the sweat and probably smearing more blood across me as I did so. I climbed off of him, spitting on his form as I kicked his body, flipping it onto its stomach.

"What a little bitch," I cursed, taking deep breaths, "Way too easy to catch off guard but, none the less, he was a little bitch."

"Well, good thing you guys were coming to see me!"

My head snapped up from the gory mess of the now dead Strigoi, my eyes landing on none other than the form of the person I'd been longing to see.

"Sydney!" I called, momentarily forgetting the danger still surrounding us and throwing my stake to the ground. I ran at her, my arms wide for a hug when she held up her hands to stop me.

"Ah, ah, Rose," She cautioned, wagging her finger, "Not only are we still in very immediate danger, but you're covered head to toe in nasty Strigoi blood and this is a brand new white Chanel suit, I am not about to let you ruin a good two-thousand dollars."

"I guess you alchemists get paid well, then," I muttered, beaming from ear to ear. It was nice to see someone I cared about, someone that I would be able to keep contact with, stand before me. I wanted to jump up and down with excitement, but that would be a bit odd considering our current circumstances.

"Now, get inside, we have a lot to do!" She ushered us the other hundred yards to her house, shutting the door and locking it behind her. Dusting her hands, she looked at my father, "What first, Zmey?"

My father swallowed, glancing from me to her, "Plan A, I suppose."

"Great!" Sydney called joyously, clapping her hands together, "To be honest, Rose, I've always wanted to do this to you, but the last time you were here you were on a kill-or-die type of mission and I could hardly ask you to stop and let me…"

"Excuse me for asking but," I interrupted her rant sarcastically, stepping between her and my father, "What are we talking about?"

Sydney glanced at my father, "Aw, Zmey, you didn't tell her? You know this is going to make this job much harder now that she hasn't had time to prepare for it!"

"I tried to tell him," Adrian remarked, making me remember he was still there.

"Tried to tell me what?" I demanded.

"Don't freak out now, Rose, but," Sydney started, swallowing thickly, "I'm giving you a makeover."

Oh, "freak out" was quite the understatement, I think.


	9. Engaged and Deceased

Sorry for the long wait! Been dealing with college things and the like. (: But, none the less, I have finally updated due to countless reviews! Thank you so much for the feedback, and I look forward to more! Also, I am happy to announce that the poll is CLOSED and the decision has been made! But I won't tell you who it is, because I feel like being mean. (;

ALSO: Sorry if the last chapter felt rushed. I know it was slightly pushed and longer than necessary, but I had to get a lot of things out of the way rather quickly or we would be sitting through another four or five chapters of boring. ): So, I apologize and hopefully this chapter makes up for it! I tried to listen to suggestions, and hopefully this fulfills some of your desires.

Anywho, I hope you enjoy the long awaited next chapter of my fic, Last Sacrifice! :D

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**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter Nine**  
**Engaged and Deceased.**

I'll be honest: I used to be a girly girl. Seriously, I used to love dressing up and putting on make up and parading around like the world owed me something for being a princess. But that simply wasn't the case anymore. I had long ago lost that flare and passion for being a "princess". I used occasional patches of make up, such as eyeliner and eye-shadow (and MAYBE some cover up), but you would be right there next to killing me if you tried to make me do much else. It was a waste of time as far as my opinion was concerned; it was just going to be washed off by the gallons of sweat I produced from battles.

But, as Adrian so kindly and thoughtfully reminded me, "You won't be in many battles anymore, Rose."

Which was the only reason, albeit a disheartening and depressing reason, that I wasn't screaming out in protest as Sydney's hands "caressed" my frizzled tassels with a hot iron. It'd been a few days since we'd arrived, and I hadn't been in the mood to have her mess with my appearance at the time. I'd stayed locked up in my room, deciding on what the best route to take was, and surprisingly, I'd come up with nothing. There was, for once, no giant master plan that Rose Hathaway could come up with. This time, I'd just have to deal with the cards dealt to me (oh, how Rhonda would be proud).

After the first two days of me holing up in my given room (and many attempts by Adrian to get me out later), she'd come into my room with a master skeleton key, proclaiming that she was going to let me "lay on my ass no longer". She'd forced me into the shower where she continued to press me into using a specific type of two-in-one shampoo/conditioner that advertised smelling like roses, when in reality, it smelled like a two-year-old's behind. She cooed about how ironic it was that "Rose will smell like roses!", something that I believed only Sydney could get excited about.

"You know, Rose, you should really take better care of your hair," She muttered absent mindlessly, fiddling with my ends. She was currently surveying the "amount of damage" that was afflicting my dead ends, "I can hear your poor ends screaming for mercy!"

"And I usually listen to them," I snorted back haughtily with a roll of my eyes, "Hence why I don't normally take a soldering iron to them."

"This isn't a soldering iron, Rose," Sydney corrected, but I wasn't sure if she had actually picked up on my sarcasm or not, "It's a _curling_ iron. It gives your hair volume."

"I wasn't aware my hair didn't have…_volume_," I mused, making quotation marks with my hands.

She didn't choose to answer that one, a choice I was somewhat pleased with. With the recent situations I'd been placed-unwillingly-in, and the previous months of solitude, I was treasuring any amount of simple conversation I could get. In ways, it kept me slightly sane. Then again, I was sure that the value of talking to Sydney would eventually decrease over the amount of time I spent with her, the same thing that had happened with Adrian and my father. They were company, but they were such frequent company that I found it hard to be thrilled when I was in their presence. If anything, the fact that I was away from them at the moment made me happy. It wasn't as if I didn't love my father, and it was definitely not that I hated Adrian, but there is only a certain amount of testosterone one can take in an hour, and their portions were overfilling my glass.

I wasn't sure where they were at the moment. Adrian, although he clearly expressed wanting to always stay by my side, was in dire need of some "cleansing" time of his own, and my father had too much an ADD type of personality to stay still and watch me receive this torture. Both had been guided out by some highly bland characters wearing the same uniform, and it wasn't until after they'd left the room that Sydney informed me they were Alchemists like her. We were apparently staying in a rather large Alchemist holding, and at the moment she had taken us in I had been too tired and worked up to admire the house. From the amount of rooms and floor it had, though, I was guessing it was either a giant building or an elaborate mansion.

Whatever the case, the style of house did nothing for the current agony I was experiencing, and without much deliberating, I decided to slip out of my own body and into Lissa's. I think I half-halfheartedly warned Sydney, but I couldn't quite remember. Either way, she was used to talking to herself a lot of the time, so I figured she wouldn't mind.

After I arrived safely in Lissa's head, I wished I'd participated in more of a thought process than the one I had. Unfortunately I had temporarily forgotten just what Lissa was believing about me, and what was true. As far as she was concerned, I was, in all forms of the word, dead. As far as _anyone_ at the court was concerned, I was dead. Rose Hathaway was no more. The would've-been-famous Guardian of the last Dragomir was gone. It was a monumental loss.

These weren't the words I was using to describe my death, they were Lissa's and those around her. I had been "dead" for almost four days, and I figured that my death hadn't affected anyone as much as I wished it would. As I studied the world through Lissa's eyes, that just didn't seem to be the case. In fact, it was almost the exact opposite.

She was surrounded my a large mass of people, a crowd, really, all who were dressed in black and holding various things to dab away at the tears crawling down their faces. They were all standing in a giant field, probably somewhere either inside the fortress of the court, or somewhere nearby and outside it. As far as I could infer, she was at the head of the crowd and not a part of it.

As she turned her head left and right, I could see there was a large, wooden podium situated at the center of the elevated floor they were sitting on, adorned with a mic that was attached. Several people were lined on either side of her, most of which included members of other royal families. Not all the families were there, for whatever reason of which I wasn't sure. A few faces I could pick out, and those that I could made my heart wrench in my chest.

Christian was sitting right next to Lissa, and I could tell that although he wanted to keep his composure, he was about to cry. Two seats down from Lissa and right next to Christian sat his aunt, Tasha. There was a time when I didn't particularly like Tasha, and although there were moments where her bubbliness was simply too much for me, I could never find it in me to hate her. She was not as conservative as Christian, and her tears were lightly skimming her cheeks just like Lissa's. Next to her was Mr. Ivashkov and his wife. Mrs. Ivashkov was sobbing into her husband's chest uncontrollably.

I'd forgotten that, while I was dead to the world, so was Adrian. His death wasn't associated with mine (and neither was my father's), in fact, his death was advertised as a "noble suicide". I wasn't aware of the exact details, but Adrian had chosen his way of death. He'd said something along the lines of "I could not live without the light of my life," and proceeded to write his own obituary.

Further down the line was my mother, who's normal stoic behavior was being challenged by the death of her daughter. Only recently had she tried to prevent my escape, but as I looked back on the event now, I realized my foolish assumptions. Janine Hathaway was a rule follower and an excellent guardian, but she was also a mother. She didn't believe I'd killed the Queen; I just hadn't given her any time to explain. I'd left my mother on an angry note, and now, as far as she knew, I was dead, never to come back to her again. Any relationship we rekindled, or started, rather, was now deceased along with me.

A few others littered the line, such as Eddie, Ambrose, Rhonda, Alberta, and Mia, but the only one that caught my attention long enough to freeze me was the person sitting, by himself, at the end of the line. The sight caused all breath that I had to hitch in my throat, and even though I was occupying Lissa's thoughts, I knew that back where I really was, tears were welling up in my eyes.

Dimitri sat by himself in his trademark outfit: jeans, a t-shirt and his long, western coat. Stuffed in one of the pockets was a beaten western novel, along with another item that I couldn't quite make out. One leg was crossed over the other knee and his hair, which was normally pulled tightly into a pony tail, was hanging loose and only slightly back. His eyes looked worn, tired and baggy, and it seemed he was fighting so many inner demons that he could hardly keep his sanity together. He wasn't cry, however; no, he looked as calm and statue like has he usually did. In fact, I would go as far as to say he was completely unaffected, and that is what hurt my heart the most.

I wanted Lissa to turn away so badly, and by some miracle, it was as if she'd heard me. She turned, but only because someone had called her name. It was Stan, motioning her up to the stand. She nodded her head and stood, slowly making her way to the podium and staring into the quieting audience.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," She spoke in a raspy voice, as if all she could do was whisper. If it weren't for the help of the microphone, no one would have heard her.

"We are gathered here today to honor the lives of Rosemarie Hathaway and fellow friend, Adrian Ivashkov, who's lives were taken three days and sixteen hours ago. Although both died in separate ways, we will still honor them in this one ceremony because, though the public did not know it, Rose and Adrian were engaged."

I wanted to scream "Woah! Hold up!" at the revealed information, but of course it was impossible. This was ridiculous. Adrian and I engaged? When could this have happened?

"Though the recent accusations of Rosemarie Hathaway were large, Adrian's love for her never ceased, and because of Rose's terrible…death," The word seemed to be foreign on her tongue, "Adrian chose to join her in the after life.

"Rosemarie Hathaway will be dearly missed by not only me, but by her close friends and teachers. Adrian Ivashkov will be dearly missed by me, his close friends, and his family. Both of these tragedies must remind us of the importance of cherishing those close to us. I know that, as the last Dragomir, this is especially true to me. Losing my father, my mother and my brother in the car crash was detrimental and traumatizing. Rose had always been there for me, and I was so grateful for the miracle that occurred when she survived the crash. We were best friends, and though sometimes I argued with her and we had our disagreements, Rose would have never hesitated to risk her life for mine. I can only thank her for the amount of time, albeit small, that she gave me the honor of experiencing with her," Her voice was waiving now, and I could feel that she was crying harder, "So please, join with me and these people on the stage, in celebrating and embracing the wonderful life that was Rosemarie Hathaway…" She was sobbing now, and she would have crumpled into a heap on the floor had Dimitri not run up and caught her.

He took the mic and nodded to the crowd, finishing Lissa's speech for her, "We thank all of you for coming and releasing your bias for the sole purpose of honoring Rose and Adrian's lives. Please feel free to visit the grave site located a mile from here. The path, like this field, is guarded with stakes and Guardians so you can feel safe. For the remainder of this event, people close to Rose and Adrian will take the mic and speak. Please stay for the sole purpose of continuing to honor their memories."

The Moroi and Dhampir in the crowd began to move and disperse, some staying the hear whatever the person had to say. Adrian's parents were up next, but I didn't get a chance to hear their words because Lissa was being carried away by the one person I didn't care to see; Dimitri.

"You can put me down now," Lissa spoke weakly some moments later, when they were out of view and hearing range of the others at the ceremony. Dimitri frowned at her but obliged, setting her onto the ground. She held his arm for a moment as if to regain her composure, but after a second she was fine and cleared her throat. Turning to Dimitri, she smiled just as weakly at him.

"Thank you for saving me, literally and figuratively," She muttered, "It would have been even more embarrassing if I had hit the floor."

"Not a problem," Dimitri murmured back, not looking her in the eye. It was a good thing, too; I wasn't sure if I could handle it.

It was silent between them for more than a while, and I was becoming restless in real life. Why were they just choosing to stand there? Eventually, Lissa made the first move and settled her hand on his upper arm, forcing him to look her in the eyes as she began to talk.

"Dimitri," She started, her voice for once steady, "You don't have to pretend like this isn't bothering you. You don't have to hold it all in."

"I know," He whispered, once more turning his gaze away to focus on the ever-interesting grass, "But it's the only way I can maintain some sense of composure. I'm afraid that…that if I give in, I'll lose what I've built; I'll lose my denial."

Lissa was confused, "What do you mean?"

Dimitri seemed to choke on his next words, "Rose…she…she was my _life_, Lissa. Before I was a Strigoi, she was everything to me. I knew nothing but her. But after I was turned, when my soul was taken from me…it all changed. She was still a part of me, but that part of me was what I wanted to willingly destroy. And then, when I regained my soul, or whatever was left of it, I was confused between the two feelings. One part of me was holding onto what I had once felt, and the other part of me was holding onto what I had felt as a Strigoi. I didn't know what to follow. It seemed like a different emotion was evoked in me every time I saw her face. One moment I wanted nothing to do with her, and the next I wanted to pull her to my chest and never let her go.

"The desire to see her began to grow stronger with each passing day, though, and it was the reason that I had visited her in her cell that day. I wanted to tell her, to let her know, that although I wasn't completely ready, I wanted to regain that portion of my soul back that I had lost…the part that I had left with her. She was the holder of that little part of me that I was still missing; she had it under lock and key. I wanted to be myself again, and I had come to accept that Rose was what I need to be that. Of course, she refused me in the cell, but I didn't want to give up. I would get her out of that cell somehow, prove my love to her.

"Which is why I made the deal with her father…I was going to help her get out of the country," Apparently he had told Lissa of the plan, "I wanted to see her, to be with her, but I knew that she wouldn't accept me, so at the last minute I decided to cut off ties. I told her I could never see her again. I watched her cry, and I knew that what I had been trying to prove, had been proved. I watched her go, Lissa. I watched her leave, and I did nothing about it. I watched her leave, without telling her how I felt…and now…" He drew in a sharp, shaky breath, "Now that hope, that part of me, is gone. I can never get it back. And that is the denial I continue to feed myself. I tell myself that I never really did care for her, that I don't and didn't need her. If I let myself go, I will truly be _letting myself go_. I lost a part of me three days ago that I cannot get back, and I'm afraid that if I give into that, I'll become a monster all over again."

Lissa's heart was being torn in two directions, much similar to my own. My heart was screaming out to Dimitri, wanting him to desperately know I was there, but my head was telling me the opposite. I was angry and upset at him for not being honest. Things could have turned out so different had he just told me the truth! I was torn between wanting to be in his arms and wanting to beat him to a pulp.

"Oh, Dimitri," Lissa whispered, squeezing his arm, "You won't lose yourself. Grieving isn't a sin. You know Rose loved you, and that's all you need. Rose would have wanted the best for you, and being a former shell of yourself isn't the best it can possibly be, so please, for Rose…" She made him look at her again, "Just let it go."

That was all it took for Dimitri to break down into uncontrollable sobs. He fell into Lissa's arms and I was momentarily impressed with her strength. She was holding him up and rubbing his back, muttering soothing words into his ear as he let the tears flow. He occasionally threw out words, most of which I couldn't understand, but I understood him once.

"That ring," He hissed, and I could feel through Lissa that he was clenching his fist, "That ring on her left hand that that…Ivashkov scum gave her," He was gritting his teeth, "That was supposed to be the place for _my_ ring! The ring _I_ was going to give her some day!"

"I know," Lissa cooed, running a hand through his hair, and for a moment I felt what it was like to do that again. I felt like I was going mad.

Finally, Dimitri pulled back. He wiped at his eyes and nose before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the other item I had seen earlier. Holding it out to Lissa, I heard her gasp.

In his hands, Dimitri had my stake.

"How did you get that?" She asked in utter amazement, her fingers running along its smooth edges.

"They had no use for it any more," He admitted, "None the less, they were reluctant to let it go. It took some convincing, but I eventually got them to hand it over." He smiled as he stared down at it.

"She killed so many Strigoi with this," Lissa spoke with honor, "Including all of the ones in the cave when you were turned. Including Nathan."

Dimitri swallowed, "Including me."

Lissa smiled, "She _tried_ to kill you. You just didn't want to give in so easily." There was a pause.

"Sometimes, I wish I had," He whispered, right before pocketing the stake.

And that was when I pulled out of Lissa's head, refusing to hear anymore. I felt angry, upset, sad, and purely emotional. Honestly, I was in no position to deal with a bubbly, smart-ass Alchemist who had no idea what this felt like. I wanted to go curl up in my room and die more than anything I'd wanted in the entire world, except for maybe Dimitri's love.

And the feeling was only exemplified by her next words and the image I saw as I stared, horrified, into the mirror.

"Well, how do you look?"


	10. Good Girls Go Bad

D'awww. Exactly 4,000 words. I hope you guys enjoy. Let me know what you think will happen, because I bet you don't know. (; Anyways, sorry for the wait, and thanks for all the lovely reviews! You have no idea how much they mean to me. c:

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, yadayadayada.

* * *

**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter 10**  
**Good Girls Go Bad.**

"If I ever believed in a God," I started with a growl, afraid that the chair I was gripping was going to break underneath the pressure of my angry fingers, "I don't now."

"I think you're being a _bit_ over dramatic, friendly Dhampir," Sydney chided, shaking her blond head with a resigned sigh, "It wasn't as if I had a choice in this matter. We couldn't have you walking around looking like Rose, could we, Elizaveta?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your new alias," Sydney began to explain, placing her manicured hand on the back of my chair and spinning me to face her, "Elizaveta Anastayia Malikov."

I wasn't even sure if I could remember my new name; much less pronounce it as fluently as Sydney had. I willed my hands to my head, massaging my temples in a manner that I hoped would rid the headache forming right behind my eyes. I had entirely too much settling in my mind at this point in time and I wasn't ready to handle it. It was a stupid idea to see how Lissa had been doing. I knew without a doubt that I would never be able to go back there, go back to living a normal life, all because of something that wasn't my fault. It wasn't fair, but I had to force myself to remember I wasn't the only one being affected by this. Lissa was going through as much pain as I was, if not more. I _knew_ she was alive; she thought _I _was dead.

Sydney's shrill voice broke the silence, "Well Miss Drama Queen!" She grinned down at me, very much oblivious to the internal war waging inside my head, "You never told me how you like your new look!"

I hated the word new, mostly because I hated the word 'change'. I hated anything that had to do with change. I liked things that were comfortable, things I was used to. My hair had stayed the same my entire life, including the rest of me. I'd dolled up with make up a few times and worn fancy dresses, but I'd always been Rosemarie Hathaway underneath it all.

Now, I was Elizaveta Malikov.

I supposed I had to understand I needed to play the part of whomever's life I was taking over. I closed my eyes and heaved in a large breath, trying to calm my nerves so they wouldn't automatically go into a seizure upon seeing myself.

Slowly I turned the chair to the mirror again, praying that the small glimpse I had seen the first time was merely a hallucination. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

I had told Sydney one thing, and that was to leave my hair alone. She'd fought for a while, but it was at least nice to see that she had maintained her promise of leaving it the right length. It still hung down past my shoulders, but was now nicely straightened and not in layered heaps. However, it was no longer a deep brunette. Instead, in its place was a bright, eye-blinding blond. It was just a little bit lighter than a Sunflower, and just a little bit darker than Sydney's (who at some point had opted to go platinum blond). My hand shakily rose and ran its fingers through the tresses, surprised at the smooth, silky feel of it. I could smell strawberries and assumed it had come from the shampoo Sydney used.

My eyes were rimmed in black eyeliner, accented with a gallon of mascara. It probably wasn't a gallon, but for a girl that never used make up to begin with, it seemed like more than enough to me. It made my eyes do this sort of 'pop' thing, causing them to stand out against the creamy tan of my skin. This, in turn, made me notice my eyes, which were now not a dark brown but a light, almost turquoise blue.

"They're just contacts, don't get your panties tied in knots," Sydney dryly comforted, stepping to stand beside me.

I swallowed, growing angrier at her assumption of my stupidity, "I figured as much, Queen Bee."

"No need to get fussy now," Sydney muttered, spinning my chair so I was once again faced away from the mirror, "Although it really doesn't matter if you like it or not. Let's go see your pops and show him the new and improved you. Oh, and your boyfriend. I'm sure he'll like what he sees."

My anger quickly turned into fury as the words came out of her mouth. I jumped from my seat and pointed a finger at her, growling with narrowed eyes, "He is _not_ my boyfriend!" Then I promptly stalked off.

I'd find my father and Adrian when I felt it necessary, or just wait until they found me. It wouldn't be too hard to miss me. I was sticking out even though I was supposed to blend in.

I carried myself to my room, not bothering to turn the light on. I threw myself onto my bed, burying my face into the cool pillow as I formulated some kind of rational thought. I didn't know what to do. What was I supposed to do? I was now someone else entirely. I wasn't going to be fighting Strigoi beside Dimitri much less fighting any at all. Was I supposed to just be normal girl? Was I supposed to cook, clean, and go grocery shopping in my spare time? I was going to go insane quite quickly if that were the case.

I tried to focus on something that made me happy, but after all that was thrown at me today I just couldn't seem to find anything. I just laid there in the dark, incoherent thoughts swimming through my mind until finally I fell asleep.

I barely remember it, but I think at some point I had visitors. Hushed whispers didn't exactly alert me to who they were, but I do remember not caring. I felt some weight on the end of the bed, heard a few more exchanged whispers, and then the door was shut. I tried to go back to sleep afterwards but it was to no avail. I was and always will be a light sleeper; there is nothing they can do to change that, unfortunately.

I sat up in bed and threw my legs off the side. In my small slumber I had come to the conclusion that it would do me no good to wallow in self pity again. I needed to make the most of this, and maybe somehow figure out a way to be happy. I made my way to the vanity mirror positioned in the corner, finding with surprise that my makeup had not been tainted during my sleep. Water proof and sleep proof, eh, Syd? At least she was resourceful.

I ran a quick brush through my still-straightened locks and refused the urge to frown at the blond. Maybe I could convince Sydney to put a red streak in it or something; something that made me look less like I just came out of a packaged Barbie Doll box.

As I turned around, my eyes caught sight of something on the end of my bed. It was a plastic bag with something on the inside, and on top of it sat a note. It was handwritten, and I knew almost instantly it was Sydney due to the near perfect cursive. No way Adrian or my father could manage this.

_Liz, _It began, and I frowned.

_Inside this bag are a few outfits for you. I'll bring you more as the week rolls by, but this will be your selection for now. Please don't hate me. You need to play the part, remember? _

_Love you,  
Sydney_

_PS: You can beat your father up, though, if you want. The old man deserves it after drinking all my coffee._

I resisted the urge to laugh, shaking my head before setting the note aside. I was almost afraid to open the plastic bag, but it was about time I had a change of clothing. I had gone through all my clothes I had brought (which weren't much to begin with), and since I saw no suitcase sitting on my floor, I assumed Sydney had taken them. I tried not to let that anger me and pried the bag open, pulling out the two outfits she had set aside for me.

Neither was much my style that was for sure. One was a black and baby blue corset top with a large black bow in the middle, tied together in the back with multiple black laces. Black shorts accompanied it, and I was at least a little pleased with those. The second outfit was not any more or less modest, it was just simpler: Jean cutoff shorts and a strapless black halter top that showed some midriff. Some black flats were included in the bag, and I almost rolled my eyes. _Of course_ the shoes would be comfortable.

In the middle of choosing an outfit, my eyes saw another note I had missed. It too was from Sydney and was much shorter, not going into much detail. It was an invite-or lack thereof really- stating that she and I were going to head out to the town tonight for a good time, and to get the locals acquainted with me. It was a small town, apparently where everyone knew everyone and I needed to become familiar with the people in order to fit in successfully.

Something about the note told me I had no choice, and so with a sigh, and chose the flashier of the two outfits, knowing that "going out on the town" usually meant a club or something else ridiculously social. Although this was against what I ultimately wanted, it was time I grew up and accepted that I would have to make this my life in some way or another. I just had to keep reminding myself that being dead was not a better option.

Sometimes that didn't work, though.

I glanced at the clock. Wow, had I really slept that long? I'd assumed I'd only taken a small nap, but unless the clock was lying, I'd slept for almost two hours. It was about fifteen minutes until I was supposed to meet Sydney downstairs; probably to also reveal to my father and "boyfriend" my new look.

I slid the corset over my head after taking off my other clothing and then pulled the shorts on. I slid the flats onto my feet and took one last primping in the mirror. I fixed stray hairs and ran over the lightened eyeliner with a stick that Syd had left me. At least she was thoughtful.

One more look at the clock told me that it was time for me to go so I took a deep breath and prepared myself. I opened the door and headed down the staircase, feeling unnaturally cliché. Like I predicted, my father, Adrian, and Sydney all stood at the bottom of the stairs, chit-chatting as they awaited my arrival. Adrian and my father's backs were to me, but Sydney had been facing me, and with a large grin, she nudged the two, "Here she comes!"

They turned around and almost simultaneously they dropped their jaws, both for different reasons. My father looked like he wanted to kill someone, and Adrian looked like he…well, he hadn't looked that stunned in a long time. Sydney clapped her hands excitedly and dashed up to me, grabbing my hand.

"Well you two! What do you think?"

My father looked like he was about to have a hernia with those large veins protruding from his forehead, and Adrian looked like he was going to collapse. I resisted the urge to laugh.

"I…like," Adrian muttered, sticking to his deer in headlights look.

"I…hate," My father growled, a response I could have expected.

"Good thing she's eighteen and can do what she wants, huh?" Sydney sang with a large grin before grabbing me harder and jerking me towards the door. She lowered her voice and bent down to my level, "We need to get out of here before they regain any amount of sanity. The last thing I need is to be beat to Hell by your father while watching Adrian bang you."

**0000000000-x3-000000000**

The trip to the club (I should go into the psychic field, seriously) was filled with Sydney talking and talking and, did I mention talking? I rarely got a word in, but that was okay by me. I didn't really mind. I opted for staring out the window during most of her rants that had to do with her bosses, her life, and whatever else. At some points it was actually comforting, I realized. For most of my life, I'd wished that I was a normal girl, that I didn't have such a responsibility of protecting Lissa; that I didn't have to risk my life every day; that I could dress up, go out and have fun whenever and however I wanted. I guess the saying rings true: Be careful what you wish for.

Finally it seemed we'd gotten somewhere, and I could hear the pounding of the club's loud bass echoing from inside. It was a small, hole in the wall, as I expected it to be. The surrounding area was filled with passing cars and pedestrians lingering around the street. I frowned; for such a small town, there sure was a lot of people…and a lot of them were Dhampirs. In fact, the more I looked around, the more the town started to look familiar.

I turned to Sydney, "Where are—"

"Oh look, a line! Poop," Sydney interrupted, and I followed her eyes. There was a long line which I immediately dreaded waiting in, but surprisingly we didn't have to. Sydney, happy with her brilliant idea, cut to the front of the line, smiled at the bouncer, and he opened up the doorway to let us in.

"What was that about?" I questioned later, raising my voice over the loud music. I had temporarily forgotten about asking her where we were.

"We used to date! He still has a thing for me," She revealed with a smirk, seemingly proud of herself and I took the inflated-ego moment to look around the room. It was packed, and I wasn't sure how many more people they could let inside without it being a fire hazard. I felt naked and exposed as a ton of eyes turned to look at me, so I raised my arms up to cover my chest, a shiver running through my body.

"Don't be so modest, Ro—Liz," She caught herself, wagging her finger, "You look stunning, guys should be staring!"

"I don't want to be a piece of meat, Syd," I retaliated, shaking my head.

"Oh get used to it! You were once a going-to-be-famous Strigoi hunter, you should be used to tons of eyes!" She turned to smile at the bartender, curling her hair in her fingers.

"Too bad I'm not anymore…" I muttered in disappointment, eying the scenery. No one looked any kinds of appealing, and although I could feel a few Dhampir presences in the club, I didn't feel like seeking them out. I felt like blending in, even though I knew that, with this outfit, it was quite near impossible.

Opting to talk to Sydney, I turned to find her, but instead found empty air. She had apparently decided I was no longer worth the time and fled to the dance floor where I caught her grinding on some tall, blond male. I momentarily wondered if she did this often, but shook my head. No use dwelling on it. She could take care of herself.

"And so can I," I stated to myself with determination. Walking to the bar Sydney had previously been at, I took a seat on one of the bar stools. There were a few people residing on similar stools a few away from me, but otherwise the majority of the people were out on the dance floor.

"You new here, Милая?"

My eyes snapped up, meeting bright green ones. I furrowed my eyebrows, scooting back some to get a better look at who it was. I still had no idea, but due to the fact that he was behind the counter and not next to me, I could only assume he was the bartender.

It was only then that I realized what he had said—or, didn't say. I couldn't understand him, even though I'd spent so much time with my pure Russian instructor. He'd said a few things to me here and there, and of course the times I bugged him to tell me some curse words, but other than that, I didn't know much. I wasn't sure if I should be flattered, disgusted or angry, but judging by the look on his face, I guessed it was a combination of all three.

He was judging my look, too, and with a scoff, he waved his hand in a nonchalant gesture, "It means 'my pretty one', literally," He chuckled, running a hand through his thick, choppy brunette strands, "Now I hope I don't have to regret telling you that. If I must though, I prefer you slap _this_ cheek," he pointed to his right one with a grin, "And not the other. It's already been brutally abused tonight."

I couldn't help but let a small laugh escape my lips. If anything, the man knew how to be charming. It was a small refresher from the idiotic boys I'd dealt with my entire life, and of course, the kind of man Dimitri was; cold and unresponsive. While Dimitri refused to let his emotions show in public, and hardly at all even in private, this man seemed unafraid of any consequences. That was a nice attribute, until you considered the other traits it came with. I couldn't deal with a man that slept around or was flirtatious enough to take slaps to the cheek regularly. This of course didn't even include his age in the equation.

"Ah, so the young one finds me funny," He wiggled his eyebrows, and I noticed that he had a thick Russian accent, a little bit stronger than the one Dimitri had used. It was, unfortunately, very endearing. "Er, if you don't mind me asking…how young, exactly?"

I considered the question carefully, wondering what the appropriate answer would be to tell him. Swallowing, I answered with trepidation, "Twenty-one."

He looked relieved and let his lips form into his Cheshire grin, "Good, good. Legal and _legal_," He winked at me, retrieving a glass from beneath the counter and sliding it across the bar to me. He grabbed a bottle and began to pour the dark liquid into the glass, "You look like a lady that prefers wine. Am I right?"

"Uh…Yes," I answered, all too suddenly realizing that I wasn't holding very much of a conversation and he was the one that was doing all the talking, "You got that right, love," I gave him a wink back before sliding my lithe fingers around the glass and taking a sip. I refused the urge to make a face. I'd had some wine before, but I forgot what a bitter taste any amount of alcohol had.

"Now, how 'bout you and I—"

"Leave her alone, Alecksandr."

I froze, my fingers clenching around the wine glass. I was close to breaking it and had to set it down, glad that I had enough common sense to realize that much. Swallowing, I waited for whatever it was to ensue, hoping that I would have no part of it. I couldn't afford it, not this early on.

But why was he here?

"Ah, you know I was just having a little fun, D," 'Alecksandr' stated with a wave of his hand. His eyes returned to me, the smirk slithering back onto his face, "And I do believe she was enjoying the attention, right, Miss…? Ah…well, what _is_ your name?"

"Just like you, Alecks," He spoke, and without looking I heard him take a seat on the stool next to me, "To flirt before asking for a name."

"Bah humbug," Alecks grunted, "Anyways, Милая, your name?"

I stumbled for a bit, forgetting my name and how to pronounce it. Eventually, though, I felt it slide onto my tongue and with a newly renowned desire to say it correctly (if only to impress him), I spoke.

"Elizaveta Malikov," I purred, trying to find a different voice that I liked enough to do, "But you can call me Liz."

Silence consumed us for a moment, and I wondered what was going on. That was the bad thing about not wanting to look to my right; I was blinded to what exactly was being exchanged. Glancing at Alecks, though, I could see that some kind of staring match was ensuing, and after a few more silence minutes, Alecks sighed and took my now empty glass.

"I'll leave you two alone," He grunted begrudgingly, maneuvering a glass over to the area next to me, "For whatever reason," then he stalked off.

"Elizaveta, hm?" He spoke, and I felt my body tense. I hoped to God he wouldn't recognize me or notice, so I sat there silently praying while keeping my eyes off him,

"Nice to meet you. I'm Dimitri."

Oh Lord.

"Ah, Dimitri," I murmured, not yet used to his name coming off my tongue again, "What brings you here?" I couldn't help but ask him.

He was quiet for some time before responding, "Visiting family. I'm actually from the United States. And you? I used to visit this area quite frequently and I don't ever remember seeing you…"

"New to this area, but a native Russian," I answered quickly, maybe too quickly. I laughed quietly, as did he.

"I'll be honest," He began then, "I'm only here because I can't bare to be elsewhere. And I'm only at this bar because I can't bare to face reality."

Either Dimitri was really open with everyone but me, or he had already gotten a few drinks in him. The latter seemed more likely at this point, especially since I could smell the alcohol radiating off his breath which was hitting me in severe waves. I wanted to hold my breath, but the opportunity to talk to him was something I just couldn't miss. I just had to tread the waters carefully. Very, very carefully.

"Reality?" I questioned quietly, swallowing, "What about reality can't you stand?" _Please, oh please, tell me you love me..._

It appeared he hadn't gotten too many drinks in just yet, because I could see him shake his head from my peripheral vision, "Nothing I care to talk about."

I nodded and held my breath. I couldn't bare it anymore. I had to look. I had to see him. I had to make sure that my ears weren't deceiving me; that this really was him, flesh and blood sitting next to me. I let my guard down momentarily and began to turn my head to face him, my heartbeat thudding so loud I was afraid he would hear it. I was so terrified that he would recognize me by any little thing. My voice, my looks, my scent; anything.

And as my eyes met those of the man who'd I'd trained with, who I'd slept with, who I'd fallen in love with, I knew that my fears were about to become a reality.

His eyes widened and he gasped, "R-Rose…?"


	11. Heavy in Your Arms

Hey guys! I decided to update this quickly because I knew that I left you on an unfair cliffy. :p Anywho, yeah, please enjoy this next installment and don't hate me TOO much. ;p

**I removed the LEMON from this chapter because there was no point in it, and I believe it belongs later in the story. Thank you.  
**

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**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter Eleven**  
**Heavy in Your Arms.**

I felt my heart-which had previously been pounding so hard I could barely hear my own thoughts—freeze, and all of the butterflies that had camped out in my stomach for so long were making their way up my throat, ready to escape into the world in the form of my vomit. I stared him down as long as I thought was possible, never altering my expression, which had molded into that of a deer in headlights.

A million thoughts ran through my head at that moment. What will Dimitri do? What will we do? What am I supposed to do? Do I deny his accusations? Do I run? Why is he here in Siberia? Who is he with? Has he already moved on? Why do I-

My thoughts suddenly came to a rushed halt, crashing into a brick wall as I saw Dimitri start to move.

Slowly, Dimitri reached his shaking hand out, placing his palm against the ridge of my jaw, trailing his fingertips along the line as his eyes searched mine. I could see every thought running through his head: his amazement; his questions concerning the color of my hair and the color of my eyes. But he didn't speak, didn't ask those questions that were pressuring him. Instead, he just shook his head, allowing his fingers to find the expanse of my neck. And without much warning, he pulled me to him and pressed his lips against mine.

That feeling that had been longing to escape, that I had been waiting to feel again for three long months, burst out of me like an explosion, and without hesitation I slid my arms around Dimitri's neck, bringing us both closer as I returned the kiss. Everything around us ceased to move, ceased to exist, as we finally found each other, our skin and lips lulling the other into a trance of pure emotion.

I felt his fingers wind through my hair and heard him utter a groan, muttering after wards against my lips, "Your hair…God, I love your hair…"

I wasn't sure how or when exactly we departed, but we departed long enough to move from the bar and make it out the door (not without stumbling, of course). Dimitri couldn't keep his hands off me, exploring every nook and cranny he could. This applied to his lips, of course, which were glued to my neck while some of his fingertips worked my now exposed hip bone. I resisted the urge to fall back into his arms and tried to stay upright, grateful for the flats that I had on now.

A car slid silently in front of us, and it was then I took the moment to realize we were in the back of the club, not the front, and I was very grateful. While I probably wouldn't have done anything to stop him, it would save me the embarrassment later after realizing we had all but actually had sex in front of a line of people.

Dimitri flung one of the doors open and threw me into the backseat, following quickly after. "Home," Dimitri growled out to the driver before pressing the button that slid the separating window between us and the driver.

Immediately after, Dimitri's lips attacked my neck again and I had to stop myself from groaning quite loudly. I wasn't sure if the backseat was entirely soundproof and I didn't want to take the chance. We would have plenty of time for that later when we got home, anyways.

I felt so happy, so elated, and so high on cloud nine that I wasn't bothering to take any time to consider the consequences of these actions; what they could do to me, my father, and Adrian. I was just too engrossed in the gallons of love I was receiving from the man I'd been begging to show any hint of emotion to think about anything but myself. I couldn't stop it, and it didn't help that I had swallowed a glass of alcohol only moments before. Rose is a light-weight, who would have guessed?

"I can't believe you're alive…" He murmured against my skin, heating it even more than it already started off being, "God, this has to be a dream…"

I didn't reply, too focused on the intense feeling pooling in the bottom of my abdomen. Dimitri kissed me a few more times, his hands getting tangled in the expanse of my hair, before pulling away. I wondered why but then felt the car lurch to a stop and turn off. He slid his hand into mine, staring into my eyes as he slowly opened the door.

"Let's go inside."

And I didn't fight it.

We struggled up the stairs, the only part of the house I paid attention to. Everything else was a blur or complete blackness because my eyes were almost always closed. Dimitri seemed to know the place by memory though and held onto me, careful not to let me hurt myself as we got to the upper level. My back hit a door then felt a breeze as the door was opened. Soon after my back hit something again, this time a bit more comfortable, and I realized that we were now on a bed. Thankful for the comfort, I took no time in kicking my shoes off and pulling my entire body up onto the comforter, dragging Dimitri down to meet me.

The morning came all too quickly for me. I was still quite the light sleeper, and the instant a speck of sun crawled through the window, I was awake and done for. I sighed lightly and rolled over in the unfamiliar bed, trying to figure out where I was and what had happened. I rubbed my eyes and that's when I felt the bed shift next to me with extra weight.

I looked over and caught sight of a sleeping Dimitri, a rare sight and something I had always wanted to see during my year at the Academy. I let a smile creep onto my face as I remembered last night and what we had done. I wanted to wake him and kiss him, hug him and make him promise to never let me go, but I knew he needed his rest. From what I could tell, he had taken an immediate flight over here from America, and although I didn't know the reason yet, it didn't matter.

It was still amazing that he had recognized me. I wanted to believe that it was because we had a connection that could never be severed, but I was weary of it. He had recognized me immediately, and that made me feel so elated. He never stopped loving me. He never stopped.

I slid myself to the edge of the bed and I grabbed the pile of clothing on the floor. I pulled everything on quietly then stretched and glanced around the room. I had expected to see a room much like a hotel room, but was pleasantly surprised. Instead, the walls were covered with different posters and clippings. A mirror was in the corner, and the furniture was old and worn, it seemed. There were random cracks in the walls, and overall, the room just seemed too personalized to be a hotel room.

I walked around and saw a pile of papers lying on the top of a dresser. Being snoopy, I picked up the first few things. It was a newspaper and a plastic card. Staring at the newspaper, the title of it read, "BOY DEFEATS VIOLENT MUGGERS, USES A STAKE FOR SELF DEFENSE" in large letters. Beneath it was a rather large picture of a teenage boy, holding a stake in his right hand and looking rather unhappy to be there. Three bodies lay around him.

I looked at the plastic card and withheld a gasp. The same boy that had been on the top of the newspaper was on the card, and underneath the picture was his name.

Dimitri Belikov.

I set the two articles down and backed away, looking around one more time. If I wasn't an idiot and was putting two and two together correctly, then I was…I wasn't in a hotel room.

I was in Dimitri's room.

_Shit! _I cursed mentally. I'd only ever been in here once before, and it had been for a fleeting moment when I had stayed with his mother and family back during the hunt for his Strigoi self. I had assumed last night when he had said home, he meant his _temporary_ home, not his actual one. Not his house. I was in Dimitri's house. And not only that, but I was in his house where the rest of his family resided.

Well, I needed to use the restroom, so holing me up in here all day was definitely not going to happen. Not to mention I had no idea when Dimitri was going to wake up and the last thing I needed was for him to introduce me to his family. I needed to get out of here. I'd leave Dimitri a note.

I slowly and cautiously stepped out of his room, making my way down the hallway and hoping to whoever was up there that the floorboards wouldn't creak. I searched the top floor for the bathroom then remembered that their only bathroom was downstairs. I wanted to hit something but refrained from doing so, instead trying to creep quietly down the stairs. I needed to go that way to get out anyways.

As my foot found the last step, I breathed a sigh of relief. No creaking, no waking up anyone, and I was out of here safe and—

"_Rose?_"

I froze in my tracks, grimacing. Now way. No. Freaking. Way.

"What in the seven Hells are you doing here?"

I spun slowly over to face the person talking to me, a large grin accompanying my expression. However, that was soon dropped as I saw that the person talking to me wasn't the only person _there_.

Staring back at me was not only Sydney, but Dimitri's mother, grandmother, and sisters.

"Good morning, everybody…" I murmured, and I watched Sydney stomp up to me, her heels clicking against the wood flooring. She grabbed my arm tightly and turned back to Dimitri's mother and grandmother, smiling placidly at them.

"Sorry, folks, we'll be right back!" She promised, and then proceeded to drag me out the door and to the back, "What are you doing here!" She demanded, jabbing a finger into my chest, "You better have a damn good reason, Rosemarie!"

"Say, was Dimitri's family supposed to know that I'm really Rose?"

This caught her off guard. Sydney seemed to think about it for a moment then let out a loud groan, "Damn it! See what you do? You ruin things! Destroy them and stomp all over their remains! You're just lucky that I was planning on telling them about what was going on, anyways. I came here to let them in on what was happening, because we'd recently received a letter from his grandmother expressing her wishes to see you, and when we told her you passed, she called us and laughed, letting us know she knew you were alive, although not the same. This is why I hate psychics and witches and whatever she is!"

I refused the giggle threatening to escape and stared back at Sydney, "I'd be careful what you say around her. But, now what do we do?"

"You tell me what you were doing here! How did you end up here after last night? I wondered where you had gone, but I figured you were just passed out in your room asleep!"

I looked over the dumb assumptions she had made, trying not to harshly judge, and instead tried to cleverly answer her questions, "Well, you see, at the bar last night…well…Dimitri was there and…"

"WHAT?" She yelled, raking her fingers through her hair and pulled some strands, "ARE YOU JOKING? PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE JOKING!"

I had fought many Strigoi in my short life, but for some reason, an upset Sydney rivaled their scariness. Swallowing, I slowly and tentatively shook my head, answering with a tiny voice, "No."

Sydney looked like she was about to explode, but right as she opened her mouth to chew me out, a cough interrupted us and I spun on my heel to face the even scarier face of a confused Yeva.

"Something wrong, children?" She questioned, to which Sydney and I both shook our heads no quickly, "Good. Let's get inside, hm? Olena is making _Kasha_."

Neither of us argued. It was a bad idea to argue with Yeva. If I thought Sydney was scary while angry, she was nothing compared to an even slightly angered Yeva.

We took our seats and quietly began eating the food placed in front of us. I had never had it before, but whatever it was it was extremely good and reminded me of porridge, and I hadn't eaten much in the few days I had been in this country so I wasn't complaining. I couldn't help but keep darting my eyes back and forth to the stairs, however, looking for Dimitri.

He never came down, so after breakfast and during a time when Sydney was in the middle of a long conversation with the family (explaining why we were here, why I looked different, the importance of keeping my identity a secret, etc.), I snuck away and made my way towards Dimitri's room. If he wasn't awake by now, I was going to wake him up myself, and it wouldn't be traditional.

However, as I came closer to the door, instead of hearing the slumbering silence I expected, I could hear Dimitri's voice, and it did not sound anywhere close to happy. It sounded like he was talking to someone, and as I grew closer, I pressed my ear against the door and listened to his pain stricken and agonized, confused tone.

"No, Lissa, you know I'm up here visiting my family. I planned this before I knew that…she died," He sighed, "I'm sorry I left on such short notice and didn't tell you, forgive me…but that's not why I called."

Why was he so concerned with Lissa forgiving him? And why was he bothering to call her and let her know what was up anyways? Last time I checked, Lissa wasn't his mother or his keeper.

Resisting the urge to get jealous, I sat still at the doorway, continuing to listen.

"No, no, stop, listen…I'm trying to let you know why I called," He growled out. Well, at least he found it easy to get agitated when it came to her. Maybe he didn't like her as much as he let on. "Last night I…I got in late, and I went to this bar, and…and…" He coughed, obviously struggling with his words. My heart skipped in my chest. Was he going to tell Lissa about me? Should I jump in there and stop him? If not for the sole purpose that no one was supposed to know, then because I wanted to be selfish and run away with him.

My hand grabbed the door knob, ready to turn it and burst in, but his next words prevented me from going any further.

"Although I'm not proud of it, I got, give or take a little, wasted. And I have a ridiculous hangover, but that's beside the point," He groaned, "I had a dream…a really, really weird and vivid dream," Silence, and I assumed Lissa was talking, "Yeah, kind of. She was there…Rose. And we…well, she didn't talk at all, for some reason, but we…_got together_, if you get what I'm saying," I could tell he was uncomfortable telling her this, "It was weird because she was Rose, but at the same time, she wasn't. There was something different about her, but I can't exactly put my finger on what it was. Whatever it was, I'm glad it didn't actually happen…Anyways, I just have this really funny feeling, but I guess I just need to walk off this hangover and get some breakfast. Yeah, yeah. You, too. Of course. I'll call later tonight. Night, Vasilissa."

I couldn't move. Holding my chest and making sure my heart was still beating, I tried to regain my regular breathing. Dimitri didn't…remember last night? He thought it was a dream? Was he really _that_ drunk? Had what we done been a mistake? If I went to him and told him the truth, would he hate me? He said he was _glad it didn't actually happen_.

Before I could think any further, his door opened and out Dimitri came, clad in only pants and holding a t-shirt in his hands. His head lifted and he met my eyes, a shocked expression residing on his face. We stared at each other for a moment, and I felt those butterflies come back. This was it. He was realizing who I was, what we had done, and that last night wasn't just a dream. He'd realize he was actually happy to see me, happy to have done what we did, and he would sweep me up into his arms and make love to me even sweeter than he had last night.

I smiled gently at him, brushing a piece of my blond locks from my face. He smiled back, albeit a little awkwardly, and looked around.

"Good morning," He spoke kindly, and then stuck out his hand. I reached out, happy to oblige to take his hand in mind. It was one of the most romantic things a couple could do, holding hands with each other. However, his fingers didn't intertwine with mine; he simply shook my hand and nodded his head, following it with a confused tone, "I'm Dimitri…ah, who are you and what exactly are you doing in my house?"

I felt all those butterflies trying to be released, fall back down and curl into tiny, dying little balls.


	12. Changing Me

Hey-o! Nice to see you guys again. This wasn't as fast as last time, but none the less, I got it out. (: I hope you enjoy it!

Also: I got a Twitter just for my fanfiction. If you're interested in seeing what I'm working on, how far I am on this story, and seeing little excerpts from the next chapter in order to stimulate your interest, go ahead and follow me! I'll also do a few writing contests (I could write you a story of your choice, or you can have a character inserted in this story), and let you guys vote to what will happen in the story next!

My username is **AVfanfiction**. http: / / w w w . t w i t t e r . c o m / AVfanfiction (WITHOUT THE SPACES!) The link is also on my profile. (: Leave me reviews letting me know if you're going to follow me or at least keep up with the twitter (I'm making it public so everyone can see it). Hopefully this will keep some of you die-hard fans at bay until I can get the next update out. (;

Disclaimer: Don't own. Yadayada.

* * *

**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter Twelve**  
**Changing Me.**

I stared for the longest time into his eyes, trying hopelessly to get him to remember. Maybe if I gave him the right look or made the right gesture it would trigger something in his memory…

But the longer we sat there and danced, the longer Dimitri had to realize that this was more than just an awkward situation. Instead of having an epiphany to who I was, however, he went in the exact opposite of "love of my life" and into the territory surrounding "crazy psychopath out to kill me".

"Tell me who you are!" He commanded, pointing accusingly at me, "Why are you in my house?"

I was still so mystified that he didn't know who I was, much less remember last night. He had to have seriously, ridiculously and moronically been drunk. I had never taken Dimitri for much of a drinker, but I suppose I'd have to adjust that impression. Either way, he was still looking at me with those accusing eyes that seemed to know everything, but not the right things. I was shocked and so stunned that I wasn't moving, which also seemed to throw him off.

I was backing up, and eventually did hit the wall. I held my arms out in front of me, trying to act defenseless. Maybe Dimitri not knowing it was us last night was a good thing. After hearing his conversation with Lissa earlier, perhaps I could save myself some embarrassment. He had said he didn't want it to happen, or well, that he was glad it didn't. Whatever the phrase was he used, he had meant one thing:

He didn't want me.

So perhaps playing the part wasn't such a bad thing after all. If Dimitri wanted me dead, so be it, I would be dead.

I decided this too late, unfortunately, and without much warning, Dimitri's hand went flying at me in a punch. Instinctively I ducked, but just barely. His fist crashed into the wall and he looked over at me, half surprised he tried to hit me and half surprised I moved.

"Stop!" I finally spoke, trying to play the part of a defenseless blond, "I…I'm just here with my friend. She's visiting your family. I came up here looking for the bathroom," I held out my hand, "Elizaveta Malikov."

He studied me for a bit, calculating if I was telling the truth, then dropped his harsh posture. He shook my hand then released it just as quickly. Running the hand through his hair, he picked up his shirt that he had dropped along the way of trying to sock me and sighed.

"I apologize," He mumbled, and suddenly he wasn't as passionate as he had been five minutes ago, "I'm just not used to people being around my house. My grandmother isn't usually one for visitors."

"I'm sorry for sneaking around," I agreed, but didn't meet his eyes, "Um…that was a nice…punch you threw," I offered, smiling a bit. Dimitri chuckled.

"Not as good as it should have been. Unfortunately I haven't had much time to practice as of late. Been dealing with…personal issues," He looked stricken with grief. I swallowed. _He must be talking about becoming Strigoi and my death…_

"Well," I began, hesitating as the thought came to my mind, "It would be nice to punch like that."

From the corner of my eye I could see Dimitri cock a brow, "Oh? Someone like you would _want_ to fight?"

I resisted the urge to argue too hard, instead opting to cross my arms and look at him defiantly, "Appearances aren't _everything_."

He paused for a moment, staring at me with a hard look as he judged me, he opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. I needed this conversation to go in my direction. I wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I would love for you to teach me sometime," I began, clearing my throat and offering my best puppy eyes. For some reason, it seemed befitting.

He chewed on his lip, raising a hand to carefully stroke his chin, "I don't know…"

"Please!" I begged. Half of me wasn't sure why I was trying to do this. Why did I want Dimitri to "train" me so bad? Because I missed him; because I longed for what we used to be, I realized. He was once my mentor, why couldn't he be it again? It would take some expert acting on my part, but I could pull it off if I tried hard enough. Right?

Right.

"Unfortunately, I don't live here," He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, "I have to leave in a week to head back to the United States. I have a job there."

"Then teach me for this week!" I conjured, taking a step towards him.

"It's too short a time; you wouldn't learn everything."

"I don't need to!"

"You won't be able to handle it."

I snorted, "Oh _trust me_, comrade, I can handle it."

It was as if all the air in the room was being sucked out; as if those words I uttered were the last ones I was ever going to say. Dimitri and I locked eyes for the longest time, his mouth slightly ajar and mine closed tightly, too afraid to say something else. I lifted an arm slowly and brushed some hair from my face. Trying to look innocent, I glanced around and cleared my throat.

"Did I say something?" I whispered, chewing on my bottom lip. I was trying to do anything Rose _wouldn't_ do; anything to throw him off the track.

"Ah…" He started, and I noticed how tightly he was clutching his shirt, "No, no. I'll train you, alright? Just, stick to calling me Dimitri. If you were any younger, I'd tell you to call me Mr. Belikov, so feel lucky," He grinned slightly, "It's a good excuse to get myself back into shape, anyways."

"Thank you!" I yelled, all too happy, "Thank you thank you thank you!" And without thinking (once again), I ran up and hugged him.

Awkwardly, he wrapped his arms back around me, patting my back lightly before clearing his throat and gently pushing me off. Looking down at me, he nodded his head and smiled, "Just be here every morning at six am, no later."

I nodded back, "No problem."

He eyed me for a bit before jerking his head towards the bathroom, "I think I should go take a shower now. I'm stinking up the place."

I snickered, shaking my head, "Not any worse than you will when you're sweating from fighting me!"

For a moment, I swear I saw his eyes sparkle, "Right." I waved to him and he waved back before heading into the bathroom.

If this whole thing was a mistake, I wouldn't mind it being one because the opportunity to spend every day with Dimitri was too good to pass up. It may be only for a week, but it was better than nothing. I had come into this thinking I would never see him again, yet here he was. Sure, he didn't know _I _was here, but none the less, I think I deserved the right to be a bit selfish this time. Maybe he was happier without Rose, but Rose wasn't happier without him. This way we could both be happy.

"Liz!" Sydney called, clambering up the stairs in her famous heels. She peeked around the corner, "Oh, good, you're alone! I was afraid Dimitri would be up here."

"He was," I told her, rubbing one of arms. I was still in disbelief of the recent events, "We talked, but…he doesn't remember last night. He was too drunk."

Sydney looked star struck, "Dimitri? _Drunk? _Wow, I never would have thought…he must have seriously been grieving if he went to those measures."

"I don't know," I shrugged, "But whatever the reason, I'm glad he doesn't remember last night. I don't think he'd be very happy with himself."

Sydney looked at me like I was crazy and began to walk down the stairs. I followed. "What do you mean? He _loves_ you, Rose! He'd probably be ecstatic! Your dad probably wouldn't be too happy about him knowing, but…you know, I'll shut my mouth. You're right. It's probably for the best that he doesn't. It makes it easier on the both of you."

I sighed, "Yeah. You're right."

But I didn't really believe she was.

* * *

I wasted no time the next morning, getting up at five. I had an hour 'til I had to meet Dimitri at his place, but I needed to shower and get ready, anyways. I had informed Sydney of Dimitri and I's plan to train and she seemed relatively fine with it, just suggested that I don't let my dad know. I was in full agreement, and for that matter, I wouldn't tell Adrian, either. I was waking up way too early for them to know I was leaving, anyways, and I was probably going to get back long before they woke up, too.

I brushed my hair back into a pony tail, still not liking the blond. It just wasn't me, but I had to admit, it was hiding who I really was extremely well. I had taken out my contacts last night and, not without struggling, managed to put them back in without screaming. I added a few drops of makeup here and there, although I knew I'd probably sweat most of it off (at least those that weren't waterproof), but it helped conceal who I was just a mile more.

I had learned from Sydney that Dimitri's place wasn't that far from where we were staying, so it really wasn't that big of a deal to walk. It was just hitting daylight, so I knew that Strigoi attacks were going to be impossible. I felt more at ease, but of course I kept my guard up none the less.

I arrived at his small house sometime later, but didn't head for the door. Instead, I followed the loud sound of Dimitri's grunts, which were coming from behind the structure. Walking around to the back, I saw Dimitri punching the crap out of a bag hanging from the tree.

"Morning, Liz!" He called, grinning and out of breath. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and I had to keep myself from staring; Dimitri, as he always had, looked amazing when he was working out. "I'll admit I'm surprised to see you here. I'm used to my students being late," A look of fondness crossed his eyes but he quickly shook it off, "Anyways; let's start with a few laps around the perimeter, yeah?"

Lucky for me, Dimitri's land was quite a few acres, so running around the perimeter proved to be quite the pre-workout. I tried to keep breathing, which was a bit easier because, as always, Dimitri was running right there alongside me. I wasn't putting all my strength forth into the run; I was a Dhampir, yes, but as far as he knew I had never trained before, so running top speed would be kind of fishy. I knew Dimitri was holding back due to this.

"So, Elizaveta," He started, the name rolling off his tongue, "Your name sounds familiar. Are you from around here?"

I nodded. Luckily, Sydney had informed me of all "my" information last night after visiting the Belikovs. Taking another breath, I responded, "Yes. My family has lived in Russia for as long as we can remember. I've never been to the United States," I tried to grin bashfully.

Dimitri chuckled, "Yes, the United States is lovely, but it's nothing like the motherland," I sneakily looked over at him, pretending to be interested in his story but secretly admiring the way his hair flew up and down with gravity after every jog he made; the way the muscles in his arms contorted every time he swung them by his sides; the way his lips moved when he breathed in and out. "This will always be my home. My occupation is what lies in America. At least…now it does."

"What do you mean?" I questioned, trying not to sound way too interested. I swallowed.

"I ah, well, recently I lost a friend that was close to me," He revealed, "She died in a car accident. I...we said goodbye, but not in the way I wanted to."

"Did you even want to say goodbye?" The question slipped out before I could stop it, but he didn't seem to think twice about it.

"Truthfully, no," He answered, taking in another breath, "I didn't. But it was what was needed, and what she wanted. She hated me, and I wasn't going to make her see my face any longer than she wanted to."

I felt anger flare in my chest. I wanted so badly to tell him he was wrong, that I didn't hate him and that the last thing I wanted for him to do that day was leave, but I couldn't. Instead, I tried to skip around the subject, sounding objective and unbiased, "How do you know she hated you?"

"Because I deserved nothing less," He whispered. And then, as if the conversation never happened, he looked at me and jerked his head to the side, "Let's get over there and do some drills, and then maybe I can teach you how to throw a punch." He grinned.

I nodded my head, not wanting to push the subject any further; at least for today.

* * *

After Dimitri had me do a few sprints back and forth, a hundred pushups and sit-ups, and several breathing exercises, he finally said he was ready to tell me how to correctly throw a punch. Even though I really did know how to throw a good one or two, I sat through it, if only because I was hoping he'd grace me with his fingertips.

"You have to make sure that your arm is completely straight," He began, lifting his arm and showing me what he meant. I copied. "Good, good! Now, the next step is remembering that when you throw the punch, you have to make sure you only hit with two fingers. If you hit with all of them, all the force is directed straight into your hand and you risk breaking it. With only two, the force travels up the whole arm and the probability of breaking _that_ is unlikely."

I nodded my head, pretending to take in all the information slowly, "Ah so…like this?" I held up my hand and walked toward him, throwing out my arm and brushing two of my fingers against his chest. He rose his eyebrow and smirked.

"Almost. You're bending your wrist, which is another no-no," He reached out and grabbed my arm, "You have to keep everything straight, not bent. Now, try to hit me again," I did, but not very hard. He nodded, "Alright, now this time, actually throw some force into it."

I wasn't sure if I could throw force into it without throwing _all_ my force into it. Knowing Dimitri, he'd be off guard and I would easily be able to send him back into the tree. He wasn't expecting my punch to be very hard at all. But I still didn't think I could punch him without actually hurting him, so I shook my head.

"I don't think I'm ready just yet," I stated, "We can try that tomorrow. Why don't you show me how to throw a few kicks?"

Dimitri's eyes lit up and he smiled, nodding his head, "Sure, Liz. Now, the first step is to close the distance…"

* * *

I wasn't very tired or sore after Dimitri's training today, mostly because I'd been working at only one fourth of my actual strength the entire time. I played it off to him, though, and pretended to be extremely wiped out. He was amused at it and rubbed my head, much to my dislike. I didn't want Dimitri to think of me like a little sister, I wanted him to love me.

But on another level, I was glad he didn't. If he loved me, he would be loving Elizaveta, not Rose, and to know he could love someone else would hurt almost as much as not being able to tell him who I was. But then again, if he did fall in love with me, wouldn't it technically still be me? He wouldn't know it, but he'd be falling in love with me all over again. Right?

I sighed. No, not right. I couldn't do that.

I went down to the kitchen at around eleven (Dimitri and I had finished at around ten that morning) to get a glass of water, way too thirsty for my own good. Pouring myself a glass, I didn't hear the footsteps behind me and was caught off guard by the hand placed on my shoulder. Jumping, I spun around and grabbed the wrist, ready to throw the person to the ground. I'd been off guard all day with Dimitri, it was beginning to sink in unfortunately.

It was Adrian, who was looking at me like I was crazy, "Woah, calm down, little Dhampir. It's just me."

I let go of his wrist, but instantly regretted it, "Adrian! You little piece of shit! You better explain to me why everyone thought I was engaged to you!" I had forgotten about the important piece of information the past few days, but now that I was able to face him alone, I wanted answers.

Adrian held up his hands in defense, "Woah, woah. Totally wasn't my idea," I stared at him stoically, "Okay, it _was_ my idea. But we had no other choice! I was disappearing with you and people would question where I was. So I had to make up a story that showed you were very important to me, which gave me reason to take my own life. Therefore, I'm gone, and no one thinks twice about it."

I groaned, "Even my _death_ has lies written all over it!"

"I'm sorry, Rose!" He said, taking a step closer, "But…would it really be all that bad, being married to me?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes, "Worse than Hell."

He feigned being hurt, "Oh, Rose! How thy hurt me!"

"Stay away from Shakespeare, he's too smart for you."

"At least a chance in looks hasn't changed your personality."

I sighed, "I'm going to go upstairs now, and you're not going to follow me."

"And if I do?"

"I will not hesitate to open up a severe can of whoop ass."

"You win the battle, Rosemarie, but you will not win the war!"

Leaving Adrian behind, I climbed back up the stairs, feeling a bit better. At least I had answers now. Walking into my room, I was prepared to fall down onto the bed and take a long awaited nap when the phone stationed in my room began ringing.

When no one else in the house answered it after a few rings, I sighed, "Sure, I'll get it!" I called angrily, glaring at the technology. Picking it up and pressing the talk button, I answered with probably a bit more frustration in my voice than I meant to, "Hello, Elizaveta Malikov is speaking."

"Rose," The voice spoke in a hushed whisper, and I felt my heart skip a beat, "I need to speak with you, now. It's very important! Come to my place immediately!"

And then they hung up.

Slipping on my shoes, I wasted no time and briskly walked out the door. Adrian was still downstairs, and when he saw me walk by, he raised his eyebrow.

"Where you going?"

"Out; to Yeva's. She called and needed to speak with me, it's very important."

"What? Are you crazy?"

"No, but she is."

"If she's crazy, why are you going to see her?" He was following me now.

"Because while what she says sounds crazy, it's usually dead on."

And that's what scared me the most.


	13. Inspiration Dimitri's POV

HEY GUYS! Long time no see. No excuses this time, besides starting school. :p Basically: Sorry for the long wait. Hopefully this makes up for it! This chapter takes a dive into Dimitri's mind, however briefly. It explores his first Strigoi experience, and of course his reasoning behind coming to Siberia to see his family.

If you haven't noticed, there is one more chapter after this! Its the next chapter, in Rose's POV. :p So like I said, hopefully two chapters makes up for the wait! I hope you enjoy!

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**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter 13**  
**Inspiration  
(Dimitri's POV)**

I'd never imagined being back so soon. I'd always told Rose how much I enjoyed my hometown in Siberia, but what I never told her was that while I enjoyed the land, I didn't always enjoy my family. The assumption that I don't love my family beyond what is capable is unnecessary and untrue—I love my sisters to Hell and back, and I would walk across a pit of lava for my lovely mother. It was, unfortunately, my grandmother who gave me the most trouble in my youth.

I believe in spiritual things to a certain extent, and of course my previous belief has widened since my "rebirth", so to speak, by Vasilisa's hands, but my grandmother takes the meaning to a whole new level. The woman is old, and I will give her the point for experiencing life longer than me, but as for being a psychic, well, that was treading on thin waters.

She would warn me time to time about certain things, things I was never exactly certain about considering the damn woman beat around the bush better than anyone I'd ever met before. Either that or she was extremely good at bullshitting, which was also very likely considering her manipulative personality.

"Dimitri, I need help with these pots," She'd complain, luring me outside with the excuse of old, shaky bones and tired hands, "Help me put the plants in them." Not even five minutes later she was begging me to tell her about the problems I was having at school, whom I was friends with, and if any of them was a five foot six, blond, red-eyed "demon".

"No grandmother," I would reply for the next two months, "I do not make friends with demons."

What I never ended up admitting, though, was that only three days following the last time she'd asked, I'd had my first Strigoi encounter, and, unluckily enough, he most definitely fit the description.

Liam had been a boy in my class, one that didn't speak much and liked to sit by his self during lunch and any other activities that usually required you to sit in groups. I'd spoken to him once or twice, and we were almost on what one would consider good terms, but before we could take our relationship to the 'friendship' level, he disappeared. What I learned later, however, was that he hadn't really disappeared as much as he just handed over his soul.

I ran into him one night while walking home late after school. I'd stayed to be tutored (what can I say? Fighting is my strong point, not math) and it had ended up going a little past seven. I was clutching my books to my chest tightly, just a timid little boy of fourteen, when he attacked.

He didn't bother to say hello, just pounced and extended his fangs. Luckily, that morning my grandmother had urged me to take a stake with me, all but refusing to let me leave the house unless I didn't put it in my bag. I'd had some small training sessions during a class at school, but otherwise, I was completely inexperienced when it came to protecting my life.

Liam was very inexperienced when it came to being a Strigoi, luckily enough. He missed completely when he tried to dig his fangs into my neck, and so I grabbed his arm, threw him to the ground and removed the stake faster than his newborn mind could comprehend. In a second my grandmother's stake was shoved into the recess of his back and I didn't stop pushing it through 'til I was sure I hit the ground on the other side.

He stopped squirming and writhing, and I was in such shock that I'd just managed to kill another Dhampir—or at least at the time I'd though he was still a Dhampir—I just stood there. One of the more idiotic things I've done in my life, that's for sure.

It wasn't long before someone stumbled upon us; Liam, on the ground in a bloody heap, and me, next to him, drawing shapes in the dirt with a stick coated in his blood.

I was taken to the hospital because, at the time, they couldn't distinguish whose blood was whose. I'd broken my hand from landing on the ground, tearing open some skin, but to be honest I didn't feel pain. They still took me, though. I was healed after a little under a day due to the small amount of Moroi blood running through my veins, but this was a human hospital and to try and explain that to them would have been futile and I'd have been placed in a different kind of hospital entirely.

So, for the entire week I spent in the hospital (I was young, and so they wanted to keep a careful eye on me for concussions and such), I would, reluctantly, re-break my hand every single night so no one would suspect anything. It hurt, especially on the nights they didn't have me drugged with medicine, but I dealt with it. It was a product of my personality I still retained today.

My mother brought me flowers and each of my sisters brought me a homemade delicacy. It was probably the nicest things they'd ever done for me; still is.

For days, doctors, nurses, reporters, journalists and otherwise nosey people pushed their way into my hospital room, begging me to answer their questions; to just give them some kind of answer. My grandmother, who hadn't visited me since I'd been in the place, arrived on the third day and scared them all away with a stomp of her cane.

She stared at me for the longest time, and if she were normal in any stretch of the word I would have assumed she was contemplating what to say to me. But I knew she already had every word in mind; she was just being courteous to the other patients in the hospital at the moment. I'd be in for it when I was released to go home.

I was more than right; I underestimated her. When I got home, I think, from what I can actually recall, she bruised and beat me worse than the damn Strigoi had. And then, only then, when she was done beating her anger into me, did she sit me down and explain to me how right _she_ _had_ been.

It wasn't long after that when I decided to leave home and become a Guardian. I'd received small doses of training, but being at home with my family a majority of the time had prevented me from doing much more than helping around the house. I knew how to kill a Strigoi, at the very least, so how much harder could it be?

Let's just say it was a good thing that I have the work ethic that I do.

Fast forward eight years to where I've become a Guardian for St. Vladmir's. To the day I'm sent out to hunt for Rose.

I'd never felt more at home in my entire life than I did when I was with her, as cliché as that sounds. It was a blessing—for the both of us—the day that Headmistress Kirova instructed me to train her. She learned how to harness the natural skill that was held up inside of her, and I learned how to have patience. But more importantly, and ironically, I learned how to love.

I tried so hard to deny any feelings for her; to push them completely out of my mind. It was unnatural, I convinced myself, completely and utterly wrong. I was made to procreate with a Moroi; I was damned to protect them until my last breath. Love didn't fit into the equation, especially with another of my own race. But Rose was convinced of otherwise, even though the both of us knew in our hearts that we were going to be protecting the Princess and our own love would get in the way of that. It would have been deadly, mostly for Vasilisa, because if a Strigoi were to jump and attack, the first person I'd push out of the way wouldn't have been Lissa.

It would have been Rose.

But that didn't matter now, did it? Rose was gone, erased from my life as quickly as I'd pushed her out of it. A voice, one that settled inside me sometime after I'd regained my humanity, taunts me every now and then. _This is what you wanted, wasn't it? To never see her again? You told her that yourself. You forced her to leave, and now that she actually took your advice, permanently, you're upset? You have no right._

I knew I had no right. I knew with every inch of me that, in all honesty, Rose was never really mine. Maybe, once upon a time, before I had been turned, I held some part of her…but afterwards, when she was comforted by the Ivashkov kid, I no longer had even a shard of her. I had become a monster, and Adrian simply…wasn't.

Again, if I opened up _another_ part of my soul, I would see that Adrian was completely and utterly right for Rose. Logically, he was a Moroi and she was Dhampir, so they would be able to have a wonderful family together. And after my horrible betrayal, he was there to pick up all the pieces. As wrong as I thought he was for her, he'd ended up being completely _right_.

It angered me to know that he'd proposed to her, and it angered me even more to know she accepted. In conclusion, it infuriated me that anyone other than me had been loved by her.

After attending her funeral, I needed to get out of the Royal Court. I took the next flight, without telling anyone, to Siberia, for some odd reason feeling inclined to speak with my family; to let them know I was alive. At least, originally that's what it started out as—but after receiving my first call from Lissa, it turned into something more.

"Dimitri!" She'd called my name with such force, I was sure that she was going to chastise me for running away, but I was wrong yet again. "It's about Rose."

"What about her?" I replied tired, using my free hand to rub my temples, "I'd honestly rather not talk about—"

"Shut up and listen, damn it!" Lissa cursed through clenched teeth and I instantly quieted, not used to her being this upset, "Rose…she's…I think she's alive."

"_What?_" I questioned incredulously, my mouth falling open, "There's no way…how—I mean—how do you know?"

"The bond," She answered in a hushed but excited voice, "I kept feeling _something_, even after they pronounced her dead, and I kept chalking it up to just a longing sort of feeling. I thought it would just go away in a couple of days, but it hasn't, and the more I try and pay attention to it, the more it feels like _Rose_, not just some stupid feeling. And I know this sounds even more idiotic, but…I feel her sometimes, Dimitri; like she's here with me. At her funeral, I felt angry, but it wasn't _my_ anger because it didn't make any sense. I was angry at _you_, I was angry at everyone, and while I _was_ upset, there was no logical reason for me to be angry at the rest of you. I mean, I wasn't before and I'm not now, but in that moment, I swear I could have slit some throats…and you know that's not like me."

After her long monologue, I tried to process the information she'd given me, running a hand through my hair, "If this is true," I began, knowing that Lissa would have no reason to lie about this, "Where…where is she?"

Lissa stayed quiet for a moment, "Well, the bond doesn't exactly come with a built in GPS, but if you just thought about it for a second…where is the most logical place she would be?"

I froze, feeling every muscle in my body tense. I swallowed thickly, feeling a shiver rake my body.

"Siberia," I whispered.

"Precisely," Lissa agreed, "So we have to find her—"

"I have to go."

"Dimitri wait I-!"

I shut the phone, shoving the piece of technology into my pocket as I grabbed my suitcase and waved down a taxi. I'd gotten off the airplane only recently, and I needed to get to my house as soon as possible. The taxi didn't take long to pull over, lucky for the driver, and instantly I climbed in, commanding it to drive to my house after giving directions.

If Lissa was right and Rose _was_ alive, I had to find her.

I had to make things right.


	14. Stay This Time

Like I said, here's the next chapter in Rose's POV! I hope you enjoy it! (: REMEMBER: Follow me on Twitter to get more exclusive updates on when I'm updating my stories, and secret special previews and snippets of the next chapter!** http:/ www . twitter . com / AVfanfiction **(WITHOUT THE SPACES!)

REVIEW! They make me update. :'D

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**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter 14**  
**Stay This Time.**

I ran all the way to Yeva's, never pausing to take a breath. I knocked a few people over on the way there (and I'll admit I may have pushed Sydney a bit harder than the others) but I wasn't going to let anyone get in my way. I needed to hear what was so important that it caused Yeva to need to see me right away. My heart was pounding ridiculously fast, but I knew it wasn't from the running. Running was something I'd always been good at, so the ferocious beating of my heart was definitely due to the fear coursing its way through my veins.

My makeup was running, most likely, and I suddenly had the epiphany that I'd left my colored contacts at home. I'd taken them out after getting home from "training" and received the call nearly immediately after, so I hadn't exactly had time to put them back in. To be honest, I had completely forgotten. It's not that it mattered anyways; I was only going to see Yeva, hear what she had to say, and then head back home. Knowing Dimitri, he probably finished training with me and decided to go into town for whatever reason.

As I kept running, my mind kept wandering. I was living this life so comfortably and easily, it seemed, and I began to feel the other familiar feeling of guilt curl up in my stomach. I was here, living it up and getting to train with my ex-lover, hiding my identity, while Lissa was back in the states probably still devastated. Technically I didn't have to worry about finding her illegitimate half-sibling, considering my life was no longer on the line but—

I was being completely selfish, I realized. The reason behind finding Lissa's sibling wasn't to save my life, it was to gain her a spot on the council and have her voice be heard; to stop the civil war that was going to erupt soon. But I was so lost in listening to my father, following his and Adrian's every word and plans that I didn't even think about it. Lissa was suffering not only because I was gone, but also because she was completely and utterly alone. I assume she had Christian, but when her voice was heard by no one, and when her heart was as pure as it was, it had to be killing her on the inside not to be able to do anything.

I slowed my pace, my breath hitching in my throat as all those feelings of helplessness started to consume me. I had to do something…

So before I could tell myself no, I was letting myself be sucked into Lissa, connecting our bond which hadn't been touched in over a week.

She was sitting in her room, surrounded by several newspaper clippings, and a news station was on the nearby TV. She kept rewinding it and playing it over again, staring at it through thin eyes as she analyzed every inch of it. Christian was in the room, as well, but he was currently sleeping on her bed, snoring with even more clippings covering his chest. What were they looking for…?

She glanced down and I caught sight of the header for one, _"QUEEN'S MURDER SUSPECT KILLED IN TRAGIC CAR ACCIDENT ALONG WITH FIANCE AND FATHER…"_

If I had been in my own body, I would have gasped. Another newspaper article's title flashed through her vision, _"DEATH OF ROSE MARIE HATHAWAY COVERED IN DECEIT?"_

Was…was Lissa trying to find out if my death was _faked_?

I was flabbergasted. How on Earth did she even know that I wasn't dead?

And all too suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks, right as my name slipped from her lips.

"Rose?" She whispered into the quiet darkness, and I noticed Christian stir. She stayed silent for a few more moments before she spoke again.

"I know…I know you're there, Rose," She spoke in a hushed tone again, swallowing, "Please…please be there," So she wasn't as sure as she came off as? "I…You need to come home, Rose. Please. I need you. We need you. _Dimitri_ needs you…"

I wanted to scream and pull at my hair at her sentence. Dimitri needed me? Ha! Did she forget how easily he wrote me off two nights ago? How easily he chalked it up to being a dream, and then proceeded to admit he was _glad it was one_?

"I know he made mistakes, and I know you're angry, but you have no idea how much he needs you, Rose. He's in trouble, Rose! And only you can save him. Look, the court, they're—"

But before she could finish, I was being sucked out of the bond and brought back to reality, the sting of someone's hand around my wrist. Hissing, I looked down then lifted my gaze to meet the anxious one of Yeva. It seemed I'd never stopped going, even when I was in Lissa's head, and I'd arrived at the Belikov residence during it. Yeva's grip had broken my concentration, pulling me from Lissa and keeping me from seeing what exactly she meant.

I didn't have time to argue with Yeva because as soon as she saw that I was back to reality, she ushered me inside, locked the door, checked out the window, and pushed me into a seat. Thoroughly confused, I tightened my fists.

"What is your problem?" I angrily questioned, standing from the seat and marching over to her, "Do you have any idea how much of a _mistake_ you just made-?"

"_BE QUIET, CHILD!_" Yeva hissed, eyes widened as she walked closer to me, forcing me back into my chair, "You can get back to whatever it was once I'm done warning you—"

"Warning me?" I interrogated, furrowing my eyebrows, "What are you talking about?"

"If you'd let me get more than a few words out, I'd tell you!" Yeva chastised, pointing her finger at me. Taking the hint, I stayed quiet and let her go on. She stared at me for a pregnant pause, making sure I wasn't going to start talking, and then cleared her throat.

"Listen, Rose, and I need you to _really listen_," She began, sauntering over to take a seat opposite me. She reached out and grabbed my hand in hers, her long nails itching against my skin, "You are in serious trouble. And I thought it only fair I warn you. In my experience, one cannot outrun destiny's train, but this was worth a shot. I wouldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you, especially if I was given a chance to warn you."

I was angrily confused at this point, and my eyebrows were still furrowed, "Destiny? What kind of trouble?"

Yeva swallowed, glanced away, and then looked back at me with a soft expression, one that I hadn't seen cross her features the entire time I'd known her. Her wrinkled hand roughly squeezed mine as her eyes locked with mine. Swallowing the thick mucus of fear in my throat, I watched and waited for whatever she was about to reveal.

"You are going to die, Rose, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it."

My heart skipped a beat then, and I felt faint. She had to be joking. There was no way she knew this, no one it was for sure, no way that I couldn't do _anything_ about it—

"H-how? When?" I asked, afraid of the answer. It was a terrible curse and a great power to know the date and way of your death. I wasn't sure I could handle it, but if I had any chance of preventing it, I would need to know every piece of information I could.

Yeva's eyes shut and suddenly, she looked ten years older. Yeva was old, but she'd always had a light and way about her that made you forget that. She was always so strong, so guarded. But as she sat there now, breathing slowly and pursing her lips in a way that made it look like she was trying so hard not to cry, she looked her age; worn with the curse of wisdom and experience.

She slowly opened her mouth and choked on the words, but before she could answer my question, we were both surprised by a voice that entered the room; a voice that was not supposed to be here.

"Elizaveta?"

_Crap_. Dimitri.

"Dimitri!" Yeva chastised in a harsher manner than she had me earlier, surprising me, "You are supposed to be at the store getting groceries for your mother to make dinner. What are you doing home?"

"I got a call saying I needed to come home," He murmured in confusion, and I was glad I was turned from him. I could feel his eyes ghosting over my form, taking in my disheveled clothing and hair. "I thought it was you who called. It came from the home phone…" He glanced around, and heard him take a few steps forward, "If it wasn't you, then who-?"

However, before the last few words of his question could be uttered, the doors to the small house flung open and I heard more than several pairs of feet clunk against the ground. Noise erupted around us and the cocking of guns clouded my hearing. Haphazardly looking around, I watched men dressed in all black from head to toe burst into the room and jog over to where Dimitri was standing.

I was reminded all too suddenly of the day in the coffee shop, when Dimitri and I had been so close to reconciliation. The day I was accused of murdering the Queen and taken to live in a prison cell for a month while he continued his life like nothing else mattered.

"Dimitri Belikov," One of the men spoke in a deep voice, and I watched from the corner of my eye as two others grabbed his arms and tugged them behind his back.

"What's the meaning of this?" Dimitri demanded, grunting from the merciless force they were holding him with.

"What makes you think you have the right to just come into my house and restrain my grandson?" Yeva challenged, taking a step forward as if there was something she could do.

"Dimitri Belikov," The man began again, "You are under arrest for the murder of the Moroi Queen Tatiana."

My heart all of a sudden sped up then slowed to a halt, the butterflies in my stomach fluttering around without care. My eyes widened. Dimitri was being accused of the murder, now? Were they just desperate to find someone to blame it on?

"What are you talking about?" He hissed angrily, still struggling, "I did no such thing!"

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and _will_ be used against you."

I spun on my heel, too infuriated and scared for Dimitri to know anything else, "Stop! Stop, this isn't his fault! Don't take him!"

Dimitri's eyes locked with mine, and all too suddenly recognition flashed through his eyes. His mouth hung open and he stopped struggling, simply staring at me, never letting his gaze waiver. I bit my lip, taking a step back. Without the makeup, without the contacts, I was just Rose with blond hair.

"Roza…" he whispered, and I watched his lips begin to tremble, "Oh, Я знал, что найду тебя…" They pulled up into a smile.

"Dimitri…" I murmured back, taking a few steps closer to him. I was caught. Nothing mattered anymore. "I'm sorry…I…I'm sorry I lied, I just…"

"Shhh," He cooed, and I could tell he wanted to touch me as he struggled against them, "Люблю тебя всем сердцем, всей душою, Roza…"

"I'll save you, Dimitri," I promised, outstretching a hand to grace his face, but the men pulled him away from me before I could. Wincing, I glanced back at Yeva to see what she was going to do. She was just standing there; her hands clasped behind her back, watching the scene go down.

"Are you going to do anything?" I yelled at her, clenching my fists. She simply stared.

"Roza!" Dimitri called, and I turned my heated gaze back to him, "Find—" But before he could say anything else, the men kneed him in the gut, causing him to choke.

"Dimitri!" I yelled, reaching out.

"Shut up," One man said to Dimitri, and then the two holding him began to carry him out of the house, "Get him out of here and into the car. We need to get him back before tomorrow. He has a trial to sit through."

"Dimitri!" I called out again, going to chase after him, but felt arms encircle my waist, pulling me back. I was ready to beat every one of those guards to a pulp, but those stupid arms holding me…

"Rose! Calm down!" A voice hissed in my ear, and I slowly began to stop, "Please! If you want any chance of saving him, this isn't going to help!"

"Let me GO!" I yelled, digging my nails into Adrian's wrists. He yelled and let me go, and I took the opportunity to jump for the door, but he grabbed my wrist, stopping me again. I turned back to glance at him, my gaze shooting knives as I watched small drops of blood come from his wrists.

"I'm not letting you go! You have to search for Lissa's sibling, that's the only way to save him!"

The car was starting outside, and I felt all my hope rush up into me in one last final burst of adrenaline. Pushing my feet into the floor, I pulled the arm Adrian was holding me by forward, swinging him with it and slamming him into the table next to me. He groaned but I'd successfully gotten him to let go of my arm. Not bothering to check if he was okay, I headed toward the door, ready to rip every one of the damn assholes to shreds.

"ROSEMARIE!"

I froze, the voice of Yeva stopping me in my tracks.

"As idiotic as this boy is sometimes, he is right. If you want any hope at saving my grandson, you need to stay here."

I clenched my fists, "What do you know?"

"More than I would ever want to."

The car's noises were beginning to fade away, and by the time I had snapped out of it, the noises were gone for good. Helpless, I screamed, slamming my fists into the wall next to me, leaving two large holes in the drywall. I spun on my heel, pushed past Yeva and a groaning Adrian, heading out into the darkening skies of Siberia.

I kept going, not stopping and not thinking about where it was I was headed. That was what Lissa had been trying to warn me about earlier; Dimitri's kidnapping. The court, for whatever reason, was blaming him now for the murder of the Queen. Using logical deduction, I could only assume that they were desperate for an answer, and Dimitri, breaking all the rules they'd ever known and coming back to life after being a Strigoi, seemed like the most likely candidate after me.

He was going to be executed, and this time, I knew they wouldn't wait as long as they had for my trial.

I wanted to just give up; I wanted to fall down and just shrivel up and die. My life was just one disaster after another. From my conviction, from losing Dimitri, from losing my best friend, from faking my death…all of it. It just never seemed to stop.

But giving up wasn't my style. I fought for whatever it was no matter what the consequences were. It took me so long to find Dimitri when he was a Strigoi, and even longer to break away from what he did to me when he captured me. It took so long to find Victor. It was just one more battle I was going to have to deal with; and maybe this time, I might win the war.

I took turn after turn through the streets, eventually getting to the downtown section, the creepy place where the lowlifes hung around. I shivered in the cold air and noticed it was officially dark outside. I rubbed my arms and, glancing at the time on a nearby hanging clock, realized I'd been stalking through the night for over two hours; plenty of time for Strigoi to come out and play.

Deciding it was time to go back, I sighed. I would deal with my demons later, after a good night's sleep. It wasn't as if I could save Dimitri right now, anyways.

I suppose I should have picked a better word choice. I didn't know just how badly my _demons _wanted to be dealt with. The next thing I knew, sharp nailed fingers were being pressed into the front of my neck and the back of my head hit the brick wall. Disoriented, I released a groan, trying to regain consciousness. My feet barely ghosted the ground, and I was having trouble breathing. Managing to open my eyes with a wince, I stared into the flaming red eyes of none other than the one person I thought I would never see again.

"Hello, Rose," She whispered in a hiss, her thin lips curling into a smirk, "Long time no see."

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**Translation of what Dimitri said:**

**1st time:** Oh, I knew I would find you...  
**2nd time:** I love you with all my heart, with all my soul...

REVIEW!


	15. Boxed In

SORRY. That's all I have to say. Enjoy the next chapter, let me know what you think. (; I LOVE YOU GUYS FOR STICKING WITH ME THROUGH THIS! REVIEWWWWWW.

NOTHING IS MINE EXCEPT FOR THE PLOT, THANKS.

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**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter 15**  
**Boxed In.**

I could have sworn my heart stopped its beating.

I tried to grasp for air—anything, really, that I could hold onto to save myself. The air was quickly seeping from my lungs and the predator had me inches above ground level, so my feet were out of the question. The moment my oxygen-deprived brain thought to use my arms a different arm swung up and snapped them above my head with ease, almost as if they'd done this a million times. I prepared to kick my legs but again a different but same appendage stopped me from even attempting. A small whimper escaped my throat and for once, I was completely helpless.

I was at a physical and mental loss, and if I didn't act soon I'd be a passed out heap, just ready to be eaten alive. My eyes welled up with tears, the pain in my throat from the lack of oxygen too much to bear. I wanted so badly to cough, to get rid of this feeling, that it was driving me crazy. I was sure that I was going through the motions of hyperventilating but without air the process couldn't be completed.

My mind wandered in that short period of time to many different things. I didn't see my life flash before my eyes like so many movies depicted, but what I was experiencing was close enough. My mind thought of my mother and father, and I wondered if by any miracle the two would ever get back together and let themselves be happy. I thought of Sydney and all that she had done to protect and help me, even though it went against her beliefs. I thought of Adrian and all the sweet things he had attempted to provide me with, including a simple dose of love when another wouldn't give it to me. I thought of Lissa and Christian, wondering how their relationship was going and what Lissa would think when she found out that, this time, I really _was_ dead.

Finally I thought of Dimitri. I thought of the way his dark hair swept mysteriously across his face; the way he wore his duster cloaked around him and the smell of it the times it had been wrapped around me; I thought of the way his hands felt roaming up and down my body and the way his lips were warm against my chilly skin; I thought of the way he'd spoken to me back at Yeva's, so tenderly and sweetly. More tears began to flow from my eyes.

_Please Dimitri…please save me…_

"Stop your whimpering, pathetic girl."

My feet hit the ground suddenly and I clutched at my throat, a large gasp emitting as I tried to suck in as much air as possible. I fell over to the side and had to steady myself with my hands, choking from the burning sensation that had occurred due to the loss of oxygen. For the moment I was saved, even though I was sure I was going to die by a different method soon, anyways.

"Get up."

Still delusional from receiving the air, I shakily stood, not up to arguing. I slowly looked up and caught sight of those terrible red eyes again, ringed in more tinted red skin, the pupils entirely too dilated for any Dhampir or Moroi. My chest was still heaving when I was shoved back against the wall, but this time no arms held me down. I grunted as my back and head hit the brick with a large amount of force, causing dizziness and nausea to sweep over me. I felt warm liquid begin to trickle from the side of my head and, cautiously, I reached up and ran my shaking fingers along it. Pulling them away, I was no more surprised than I should have been when I saw the red flow of blood.

"Can you stop being weak for a moment, Rose?" The voice chided, and I heard the steps of movement echo twice as much as they should have due to the pounding in my head. Clutching it with trembling fingers, I stared into the face of my attacker, disgusted by the ever-present smirk on their face.

"Ms. Karp. Pleasure to see you again," I struggled out in between hisses and gritting of my teeth. She seemed amused at my pain and laughed boisterously, shaking her head at me as she began to pace the area surrounding us. I tried to keep facing her and brace myself for any more of her attacks, but I knew that it was pointless. There was a reason she weakened me, and that was to keep me from doing just that.

"Oh please, Rose, what of the formalities?" She brought her newly manicured nails up and swiped one across my cheek, causing me to shiver from the chill of her skin. I could almost feel the evil radiating off of her. "Call me Sonya."

"Go to Hell," I spat, glaring knives at her. She obviously planned on killing me, so why shouldn't I get a few snarky remarks in beforehand?

"Tsk, tsk," She murmured, clasping her hands behind her back, "That's no way to talk to your teacher."

"You're not my teacher!" I growled and clutched my fists as if prepared to fight.

"Don't try to fight me, you know you won't win. Besides, that's not what I'm here for, anyways. If I wanted to kill you I would have saved time rather than listen to your incessant voice cry like a small child for ten minutes," She rolled her eyes with over-exaggeration, "Dhampir these days…So pathetic."

"Oh?" I commented, "I must be something of importance for you to come all the way out here and try to capture me."

She laughed loudly once more, "Stop with the silly assumptions! For one, I didn't come all the way out here. I've been staying in Russia. Two, I'm not here to capture you. I won't even have to lift a finger, really."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, finally managing to make myself stand upright. I felt mildly better and kind of threatening, but I don't think 'Sonya' felt the same way. She was staring at me as if I was the most insignificant piece of scum on this Earth and I got the idea that she felt she wouldn't have to do much to crush my skull in. Which was probably true, but none the less, I tried to not let it affect me too much.

Sonya raised her eyebrows, "You will come with me willingly is what I mean."

My anger spawned into its own force momentarily and with a distraught and defensive voice I blurted back, "Are you fucking _crazy?"_

"Rose!" She snapped, although I knew she was mocking me, "Watch the language! And if you must know, no, I'm not crazy. I haven't been crazy since I was turned, thankfully."

"I think you're crazier now than you were then," I muttered, and I watched her eyes flame and her nostrils flare. However, she dismissed it and I removed my stare from her, instead focusing on the dirty brick wall next to me. For some reason, I felt no immediate threat from her. She wasn't here to kill me, no matter how much she liked to flaunt that she could.

A pregnant pause later had her release a small sigh, "Are you ever going to ask what I want? It wouldn't kill you to be at least a _little_ cliché, young hero."

"I think that was an ass-backwards compliment, but I'll take it," I muttered, flashing a glance in her direction, "Just to satiate your desire to be an evil maniac, here goes nothing, but be aware that I have never once taken an acting class in my life," I warned, then drawled out in a thin, monotonous voice, "Oh, oh no, what is it that you could ever want with wee little ol' me?" Maybe my acting was a bit better than I'd originally thought.

"Hmph," She grunted, somewhat offended my lack of trying, "Since you so kindly asked, maybe I'll tell you."

"I would hope so, or you wasted both our times." This was not the uptight, rigid Ms. Karp I had once known. It was almost as if being sane—and I use that term in comparison to how she once was—had calmed her and made her slightly energetic. That would be the only thing that would end up sucking when/if they ever turned her back.

I was surprised by the thought, wondering where it had come from. Who said she was going to be turned back? I know Mikhail wanted it, but…seriously? The probability of us finding her again, or me not killing her for that matter, was zero to none.

"It has come to my _attention_," She enunciated, placing her hands behind her back with a sadistic smirk, "That your boyfriend is currently being prosecuted for the murder of the Queen, is that correct?"

"You sound like you already knew," I growled out, narrowing my eyes.

"Insignificant detail," She spat out before continuing, "The point is that I know, and, what will be much to your delight, I also know a way to get him out."

My heart beat sped up suddenly and I jerked my head towards her with wide eyes, "What?"

"Oh, interested now, are you? I should have tried this from the beginning," She sighed dismissively and started her pacing again, "It is _also_ to my knowledge that Lissa has an illegitimate half-sibling. I don't need to ask you if I'm right again."

"How did you—?"

"Ah, ah, I ask the questions here, Rose," She cut me off, wagging her sharp-nailed finger at me, "But again, details don't matter. What _does_ matter is that I have the key to getting all of this completely wiped from the records. You could even say I know of a way to…destroy them, if you will."

"Stop talking in circles!" I suddenly barked, taking a step closer to her. She didn't flinch but she held up a hand to her heart, feigning hurt.

"Calm down, Princess," She drawled, then chuckled, "I have yet to mention how much I like your new hairstyle, by the way. Blond looks good on you. Not as good as it does on your little best friend, though."

"Shut up and move on with your point," I harshly spoke, clenching my fists, "I'm growing tired of these games."

"But you'll put up with them in order to save your friends, won't you?" She asked, and when I didn't respond, she nodded her head, "Mmm. Just as I thought. Now pay close attention, Rosemarie.

"Speaking of your little best friend, Lissa…and her illegitimate sibling. I know who they are, where they are, and just exactly how to get a hold of them."

I felt like my insides were being ripped from my body through my throat, and it was extremely hard to swallow after she'd spoken the words. She _knew_? But how? How could Ms. Karp, a Strigoi, a rather unimportant STRIGOI, know where the key to getting Lissa's voice heard on the council was? How could she have found it before me, before Adrian, before my father? My father had eyes and ears in every corner of the world, there was no possible way…

"And before you even begin questioning my word, you should take a look at these," I was suddenly aware of a manila folder being tossed at me and I barely caught it, some of the papers spilling out onto the dirt ground. I bent down and grabbed them, my fingers brushing over a grainy picture taken in what looked to be a holding cell. My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to make out who the picture was…

"Oh my God," I whispered, flipping through the other pages, which were more pictures, each similar to the last, with a few big differences, "You…how did you get them?"

"It wasn't difficult," She answered simply, shrugging her shoulders, "Victor and his idiotic brother don't try very hard to hide themselves. It just takes the right kinds of sources, which teenagers usually don't have access to. I do have to commend your bravado, though, for finding them the first time without much help. Logical deductions couldn't help you find their credit card purchases, however."

Of course we looked over the most obvious way to track them. They hadn't anticipated us being able to, and with the murder of the Queen, no one had time to go digging around and looking for Victor Dashkov. And Victor always had been a big spender, so it was even easier to find him with the multi-million dollar purchases he was guilty of.

"Shit," I cursed, thoroughly disappointed in myself for not thinking of it. My eyes attached themselves back to the pages and I went through them again, one by one, clearly seeing their faces. They were being held somewhere, where I didn't know, and in each picture they were shown to have their hands and feet tied with rope and constricted to the chairs with chains. They didn't like to underestimate, apparently. A few pictures had some Strigoi torturing the two Moroi in various ways, the most popular being with a whip. There was one very gruesome picture, however, that showed a Strigoi drinking from Victor and his brother, and the looks on both of their faces were familiar.

I knew how they felt. It was a euphoric feeling that ended in pain. A pain they would never be able to erase from their minds again.

"Are you done? If so, I'd like to continue," Sonya stated in a bored tone, and I glanced up to see her arms crossed and her eyebrow perked.

I didn't reply, and she took this as a hint to continue, "As to how all of this connects, you can obviously see that I have the information. I'm not going to share it with you, however."

"Then what was the point in letting me know?" I seethed, gripping the papers hard in my hands to the point of causing crinkles and tears.

"Because I want to let you know that you have the _opportunity_ to know," She informed me, a smirk playing her lips again. Clearly she had the idea she was winning this battle. "You desire to prevent the law allowing younger Guardians from passing, am I right? You want to prevent a civil war from breaking out between Moroi and Dhampir, correct? And lastly, you want to see your lover again, don't you? The answers to all of these are yes, and the answer on how to get them to become a _reality_ is simple: Get Lissa onto the Royal Court. The answer on how to do that leads me to my main point: You find Lissa's illegitimate half-sibling. I know who it is; I know where they are; I know how to reach them. And you can, too, for one simple price." Her lips pulled up into a Cheshire Cat-like grin and her eyes widened, showing her true madness. She stared at me silently for a few moments, waiting for me to piece it all together.

And suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

"No," I whispered, beginning to shake my head, "No, no, no…I can't, that—I—I just…"

"You have twenty-four hours to decide," She stated stoically, not at all concerned with my fear, trepidation or mental stability, "And it goes without being said that you _will not _inform anyone else of this offer. If you do, I will consider it null-in-void," She warned, clasping her hands, "If you decide yes, then meet me tomorrow at midnight, behind the old abandoned bar on sixteenth street. I will give you all the information you need, including the whereabouts, the identity and contact info for Lissa's sibling and the information regarding who _actually _killed the Queen. I will arrange to have the information sent to the Princess. Hell, if I'm feeling generous, I might even let you talk to her!" She laughed as if that emotion was purely up to her judgment, "If you don't show I'll assume you've decided no, and you can live for the rest of your life knowing that _you_ allowed innocent Dhampir to get killed; that _you_ started a civil war within your own people; and that the death of your boyfriend was, inevitably, _your_ fault. You can't afford to say no to me, Rose, and you know it."

And with the final ending word, she was gone. She knew she had won.

I suddenly and all too clearly understood Yeva's words. I was going to die, and I could not prevent it. Not die in the regular way, no. I wasn't going to be stabbed or hit by a train or be poisoned. No, those would be ordinary. I would have rather died those ways a thousand times then die _this_ way.

I was going to become a Strigoi. Willingly.


	16. Being Human

Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait...you wouldn't imagine how freaking horrible college life is. Okay, I'm sure some of you know. (: And having a part time job? It's crazy. I hated writing for quite a while because I had to write so many essays! I apologize for the long wait. I also know that Last Sacrifice is already out and yes I have read it, but that doesn't change this story. It will NOT end or be like the actual book, I've had this plot planned out from the beginning. I understand mine was nothing like Richelle Mead's, but to be honest, I wasn't entirely happy/satisfied with the way she ended some things, or lack there of really. So I hope that this story is still as well liked and readable, and I hope you enjoy MY version of Last Sacrifice. ;) I'm also working on a sequel, and it'll either be a sequel to THIS one, or to the actual Last Sacrifice. Let me know which one you guys would prefer!

ALSO: I've received a lot of reviews about the time that Rose trained with Dimitri and she had her hair up, revealing her molnija marks. I realize you guys are all very much correct and I am not full of too much pride to admit I completely forgot about them. I apologize COMPLETELY! So, just dismiss that for me. ;)

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**Last Sacrifice**  
**Chapter 16**  
**Being Human**

I'd always told myself I wanted to die in an original way; a way that would be written down in the History books and remembered for ages. I had once wondered whether I'd be written down in the History books, but after being accused of murdering the Queen the entire civilization looks up to, I figured that I couldn't be skipped out on. Of course I hadn't actually murdered Tatiana, but that's not what they thought. I wondered just how many facts in those damn books we were forced to read were actually true—and how many others had been wrongfully committed due to a corrupt political system full of power-hungry maggots.

Maybe I was a bit of an attention-craver, but honestly, that's just how my personality was. I wasn't meant to die by a stupid car explosion; that was how _regular _humans died. I wasn't meant to be executed in front of millions, and although that would have been kind of original and exciting, I wasn't guilty. They could at least work on condemning me for something I _did_ do. But to be completely and utterly honest, I think I would have sooner accepted those boring or misinformed deaths over being turned into a Strigoi. Hell, I would have rather killed _myself_ than become one of those disgusting creatures of death.

I'd seen what they were many times; I'd seen their horrible, atrocious nature and the smirk that clearly represented the idea that they didn't care who or how many or why—they would kill until they could kill no more. But what hurt even more than seeing a regular Strigoi was seeing someone you once knew, someone who you knew when they were _alive_, become the very creature you despised. You got to see the dramatic change in them. You got to see just how exactly that malignant being took them over—how they acted without a _soul_. They had no emotions save for the lusting of power and the vain nature of pride in themselves.

You can imagine how different Dimitri acted because of this. He was never a selfish person, not by any means, but the night I finally met him when he was a Strigoi was a shell shock. He had transformed, literally, into a completely different person. Not that Strigoi were considered people, of course. The being that he had hated with every fiber of his being was now the same being he worshipped. He did unspeakable things, things that I had come to know he regretted, things that he could never forgive himself for. Being a Strigoi, it was like going to an open casket funeral. The person you loved was sitting there in all their glory, but at the same time, they weren't. It was an empty shell; hollow compared to what it once was. It was pure torture and at some points I even wished to rather have him dead than alive like this.

You can imagine why all this would make me scared out of my mind when I thought about what kind of Strigoi I would become. I couldn't imagine the life—or death—that would await me once I met Sonya tomorrow. I didn't want to meet her, and in fact every single bone in my body was rejecting the idea, but the thought of Dimitri being accused of the crime I was meant to endure…that was enough to make me think twice. It was a battle in my head that I dealt with all day, going back and forth between accepting the idea (or rather just succumbing to it) and completely telling myself no. Who knew if Sonya would honor her promise to begin with? And even if Dimitri was saved, what would he think of my betrayal? He would hate me.

He would hate me, and after such admittance in his family's home, it hurt to think about. Sure the plan had been that he need not know I was alive, but after he found out, there was nothing we could do. He had once upon a time told me the love faded, but was that still true, or had he just been speaking in the moment?

As I made my way back to the safe house, I tried to swallow my fears and come to terms with the fact that this was potentially my only option. Unless my father could magically pull something out of his ass, I was doomed. But, in the end, although I was going to be turned into a monster that was going to be hunted, perhaps I was dying in a significant way. I was sacrificing myself for my loved ones, no matter how else they chose to view it. Maybe I wouldn't get written down in History books, but if I could save Dimitri or Lissa or anyone else for that matter, I would do it no matter the consequences to myself. Let Dimitri hate me; I was positive he could easily find someone else to live his life with, perhaps a nice Moroi who could actually bare his children.

The thought was enough to rip me apart on the inside, and as my hand gripped the metal of the door knob, I tried to enjoy the last bit of humanity around me. Afterward I would no longer care about the scent of nature, or the way the sunlight felt on my skin—Hell, I would _never_ feel the sunlight on my skin again. Ready to turn the knob, I was surprised when the door was jerked open before I could, my face suddenly covered by the warm feeling of Adrian's chest. Grumbling into the fabric, I tried to remove myself but found he had just too good of a grip on me, and unless I wanted to drop kick him (probably not the best thing to do to your boyfriend), I was stuck. Sighing in resignation, I let him hold me until he felt it necessary to pull back and assess me for any injuries.

"Little Dhampir," He scolded, brushing a stray lock of hair from my face with a scowl, "I was afraid you had been destroyed by Strigoi. You've been gone all night."

I sighed, not in the mood to explain anything. Not that I planned to. If Adrian—and God forbid my _father_—found out what I had planned, they would sooner tie me up to a chair and sedate me for the rest of my life then let me go through with it. Rubbing the back of my neck, I instead inquired, "Where's Sydney?"

Adrian frowned, "Your aura is black, Rose. Is there something troubling you?"

I almost scoffed, _almost_, but withheld the action and instead simply repeated my question as I began to rub my temples. Sleep sounded good, but I knew that the prospect of me getting any was going to be next to none with the way my brain was running. Adrian didn't respond and just jerked his head towards the kitchen where a faint murmuring sound was occurring I hadn't bothered to notice before. Nodding in thanks, I turned and lifted my heavy feet into the kitchen to come face to face with not only Sydney, but my father as well.

"Rose," He greeted, looking me up and down in the same fashion Adrian had. I resisted the urge to glare daggers and instead tried to ignore him the best I could. I wasn't some fragile doll that they apparently mistook me for, but I didn't have the energy or will to fight it. There were worse things I was worried about really. "What brings you back home…finally?"

Oh how I loved my father's uncanny ability to be sarcastic. A frown marring my lips, I ignored him and instead turned towards Sydney. "I need you to dye my hair back."

Sydney, as expected, frowned in return. "Why?"

I stared at her, unwilling to give a response. There was no way I was going to let her know I wanted to look as much like me as possible when I was turned into a Strigoi. That way, in the instance that Dimitri ever decided to come and hunt me down like I had him, I would be easy to find. When Sydney realized I wasn't going to give a reason, she turned to my dad for approval. Zmey, in all his intelligent glory, shrugged in nonchalance. "If that's what she wants. Not like there's really anyone we need to hide her from anymore." Way to be sensitive to Dimitri's untimely accusation, Dad.

Sydney seemed to disagree, but she did a good job of keeping her opinions to herself and quietly stood up from her chair. "Come on, Rose. Let's get this over with."

The second time she mauled my hair was really no different than the first, except this time I was sure I was going to like the outcome. Taking a seat in the same wooden chair I had sat in less than two weeks ago, I let Sydney pull at my strands, trying not to wince too much whenever the pain was intense. Fighting hordes of Strigoi and obtaining several huge bruises, a couple deep cuts and a crap ton of scathes—yeah, that was nothing. Tugging on my hair? That hurt _a lot_.

I eventually relaxed, leaning back in the chair with the decision that now was no better of a time to slip into Lissa's head. I expected to be met with Guardians running around the Court, Lissa's anxiety and fear over the situation, and all in all, the Court to look like complete Hell had broken loose. However, I was met with almost the exact opposite.

Lissa was calmly sitting in her room, her eyes trained on Christian who sat across from her. Christian was holding her hand and soothingly rubbing small circles on the palm of it, trying to calm her racing nerves. What Christian didn't know was that Lissa really wasn't all that wound up—she was just worried. She had tried to talk to Dimitri earlier it but it seemed the Court had learned its lesson once with me. After my escape they decided that simple holding methods were not going to be good enough, and Dimitri was currently being held within the Court's deep, underground basement. It was four floors under and each level above him was flooded with at least ten to twenty Guardians. Where they had gotten that many from I had no clue, but Lissa could hardly get past the first level. She had considered compulsion, but there was no way that she had enough magic or energy for the task, and since she really had no other power other than that, she had been forced to resign from the desire.

She had desperately wanted to speak to him, to make sure he was okay and to hear from him that I was at least alive. As far as she knew, my liveliness had yet to be confirmed. She had suspected, but Dimitri had never really told her that I was still alive and breathing. She sighed, her mind flipping back and forth between me and him and wondering just how exactly we were going to get ourselves out of this mess this time. Little did she know that it was going to work itself out just fine…at least as fine as it could after she lost her best friend. It would tear her apart, but I was sure that in the end she would realize the greater good was my life being sacrificed.

"What are we going to do?" She finally spoke, and I had a feeling that wasn't the first time she had pondered it or asked it out loud. Christian sighed.

"We're going to wait for Rose. She'll know what to do."

"But what if that takes too long?" Lissa exclaimed, wide eyes meeting his in panic. "Dimitri's trial is in less than three days, and elections are in two! You know that as soon as someone else takes power…they aren't going to listen. The whole Moroi won't listen! And if they don't, do you think the Dhampir will? Dimitri will _die_ and our system will stay corrupt forever!"

"Rose will be here, Liss, I know it."

"Christian, don't you understand? Although they've found someone else to blame it on, the world thinks she's _dead_. They are blaming Dimitri because they need _someone_ to blame it on or else the people will get restless. If Rose just waltzes back in here like she never died, what do you think will happen?"

Christian frowned, eyebrows furrowing as he stared at the ground in defeat, "They will kill both of them."

"Exactly," Lissa whispered, dropping her gaze as well, "We are royally screwed this time. No pun intended."

Christian managed a half-assed laugh/snort, shaking his head, "I agree."

"Rose?" I was jerked out of her head by the gentle shaking of my shoulder from Sydney. I looked up at her and she jerked her head towards the mirror. "You're done."

It was a surprise seeing myself again. Without the blond hair and the blue contacts, I looked…regular. Normal. I almost convinced myself for a second that I was an average Dhampir with an average life, not a Dhampir that was about to give up her life in order to save her friend's and the man she loved. I swallowed.

"Thanks, Syd," I murmured, and I noticed her lips turn into a deeper frown. I could tell she wanted to ask about my mood, but she didn't. Perhaps she didn't care enough, or maybe she could just tell I wasn't going to talk about it. Whatever the case, I was grateful she didn't bother me, and so with a silent resolve, I stood from the chair and made my way to my bedroom to catch up on whatever little amount of sleep I could before nightfall.

As I walked inside, I was met with Adrian once again. Not really surprised, I shut the door behind me and just walked past him to my closet, pulling out a pair of pajamas that I didn't plan on changing into. I grabbed the nearest brush and ran it through my hair, catching Adrian staring at me from my peripherals.

"You're going to do something stupid, aren't you?" He questioned quietly. I didn't respond. "Are you planning on ignoring me forever, or just until you do the stupid thing?" I paused in my actions.

"Adrian, just drop it," I muttered, continuing to brush my hair afterward. Adrian didn't seem so keen on giving up that easily and stood from my bed, quickly crossing the room to stand behind me.

"You could at least have the decency to tell your _boyfriend_ what exactly you plan on doing. Or did you forget that I'm your boyfriend? Did Belikov distract you from that fact?" He snarled angrily, glaring at the back of my head. I narrowed my eyes in return, flipping around to face him.

"Are you stupid?" I demanded, staring up into those accusing eyes. "He did no such thing. If I recall correctly, the only thing _you've_ been doing lately is ignoring _me _and being a jackass!"

I could instantly tell that Adrian was not at all pleased with what I had said. Gritting his teeth, Adrian responded, "You know what? Go out and be stupid for all I care! God knows I couldn't stop you if I tried, anyways. I can't believe I wasted my time on this!" Throwing up his hands in a manner I assumed meant "I give up", Adrian stormed from the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Great. Now I had an angry (ex) boyfriend to add to my list of 'people who are pissed off at me'. Sighing, I decided there was nothing I could do about it now and tried to lay down and get some sleep.

Night came entirely too quickly. As I predicted, I hadn't gotten much sleep, maybe an hour or two at best while the rest was spent tossing and turning. Slowly rising from my bed, I went to my vanity mirror and brushed my hair, taking a few minutes longer than necessary. I probably wouldn't care about much after turning, so I was savoring everything I could now and prolonging it as much as possible. I had stayed in my clothing from yesterday so I didn't have any need to change, just threw on some deodorant and made my way out the door.

Everyone was sleeping. Having stayed up all day before since my late return, they were taking the time now to catch up on lost sleep—lucky for me. Since this was Sydney's regular time to sleep, she was asleep as well, and so this made sneaking out of the house as easy as possible. The door made a slight creak as I exited, but after standing still for a few moments and hearing nothing in response, I released a silent breath of relief and shut it behind me slowly.

The route to our meeting spot was the shorted journey I'd ever been on despite it being at least an hour away. It was freezing as well, which didn't help. Damn you Russia for being so cold. I had a feeling that it would soon be the least of my worries.

Especially when my eyes met those of a smirking Sonya's.

"Welcome, Rose," She spoke eloquently, opening her arms. And then, all too suddenly, we were surrounded my hundreds of Strigoi, popping up on the tops of buildings, appearing from around corners, and some even seemingly materializing out of thin air. Eyes wide, I spun in place, trying to assess the situation. Sonya Karp laughed manically, throwing her head back.

"Welcome home, Rose, welcome home!"


End file.
